Shear-flow coupled behavior of artificial joints with sawtooth asperities

Abstract

The coupling between hydraulic and mechanical processes in rock joints has significantly influenced the properties and applications of rock mass in many engineering fields. In this study, a series of regular shear tests and shear-flow coupled tests were conducted on artificial joints with sawtooth asperities. Shear deformation, strength, and seepage properties were comprehensively analyzed to reveal the influence of joint roughness, normal stress, and seepage pressure on shear-flow coupled behavior. The results indicate that the shear failure mode, which can be divided into sliding and cutting, is dominated by joint roughness and affected by the other two factors under certain conditions. The seepage process makes a negative impact on shear strength as a result of the mutual reinforcing of offsetting and softening effects. The evolution of hydraulic aperture during the shear-flow coupled tests embodies a consistent pattern of four stages: shear contraction, shear dilation, re-contraction, and stability. The permeability of joint sample is considerably enlarged with the increase of joint roughness, but decreases with the addition of normal stress.