Shear behaviour of irregular triangular rock-concrete joints

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation into the shear behaviour of rock-concrete joints with roughness in the idealised forms of regular and irregular triangles. The tests were carried out in a large direct shear machine under conditions of constant normal load and constant normal stiffness using rock specimens which were typical of a soft mudstone. For both the regular and irregular joints, failure was accompanied by shearing and crushing of the rock asperities. However, the principal difference between the responses of the two types of joint was that the irregular joints, particularly under conditions of constant normal stiffness, showed a much greater relative du..