Research on Shear Behavior and Crack Evolution of Symmetrical Discontinuous Rock Joints Based on FEM-CZM

• Main Authors: Xianlong Wu, Gang Wang, Genxiao Li, Wei Han, Shangqu Sun, Shubo Zhang, Wangliang Bi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
• Series: Symmetry
• Subjects: symmetrical discontinuous joints; numerical simulation; shear strength; crack evolution; FEM-CZM method
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/12/8/1314

The discontinuous joints are an essential type of natural joints. The normal force, joint persistency, and distribution exert great influences on the shear resistance of the rock joints. By simulating the uniaxial compression experiment and Brazilian test, the material parameters and the basic size standard for meshing were determined. The symmetrical discontinuous joint distribution of three types were established, the cohesive elements were inserted between the solid elements, and the numerical simulation of the shear test was conducted. The effects of joint distribution, joint continuity, and normal stress on the shear resistance of joint rock were investigated, and the law of crack evolution was analyzed. The results showed that the shear process of discontinuous joints can be divided into four stages: elastic stage, strengthening stage, plastic stage, and residual stress stage. For the scattered joint distribution, the rock bridge can provide more reinforcement for the joints, which enhances the shear resistance of the joints, the stress concentration point at the end of the joint is easy to accumulate more fracture energy, which induces the initiation of the cracks, and under the influence of unbalanced torque, the both-sided joint distribution is more likely to produce tension damage.