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Published in: Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment 11/2021

16-10-2021 | Original Paper

A comprehensive investigation on the shear properties of interlayer shear weakness zones

Authors: Gang Han, Hui Zhou, Jing Hou, Chuanqing Zhang, Hemant Kumar Singh, Yang Gao

Published in: Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment | Issue 11/2021

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Abstract

Interlayer shear weakness zone (ISWZ) is a type of weak deformation zone in stratified rock masses with variable thicknesses and undulations, which is a major threat for many rock engineering construction projects on or within rock masses because of their poor mechanical properties and large-scale distributions. Existing studies mainly focused on the shear behaviours of weak interlayers of ISWZs without considering the effects of variable thickness and undulation. This study investigates the real occurrence of ISWZs located in the Baihetan Hydropower Station, and a metre-level 2D numerical geological model containing variable thickness and undulation of ISWZ was developed using the particle flow code PFC2D. A series of numerical direct shear tests were performed to investigate the shear properties of ISWZs considering the infilling ratios, joint roughness coefficient (JRC), and normal stress. The experimental results show that the infilling ratio is a vital parameter that controls the failure modes, shear strength, and shear dilatancy of ISWZs. The dilatancy and interlayer separation were found insignificant under high normal stresses compared to the cases under lower normal stresses. In case of first-order asperities, wear/striation mode failure changed to shearing off mode gradually with an increase in normal stresses. The role of structural surface asperities in shear resistance decreases with normal stress and infilling ratios. The second-order asperities tend to increase the dilatancy phenomenon if the infilling ratio is limited as well as the normal stress. The uniqueness and major finding of this study were discussed in detail. The results of this study will provide a new basis to investigate the shear properties of ISWZs at an engineering scale.

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Metadata
Title
A comprehensive investigation on the shear properties of interlayer shear weakness zones
Authors
Gang Han
Hui Zhou
Jing Hou
Chuanqing Zhang
Hemant Kumar Singh
Yang Gao
Publication date
16-10-2021
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment / Issue 11/2021
Print ISSN: 1435-9529
Electronic ISSN: 1435-9537
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-021-02430-z

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