Effects of joint geometric configurations on cyclic shear behavior of intermittent joints under constant normal stiffness conditions

Abstract

Intermittent joints are common in rock masses and are subjected to cyclic shear loads from seismic events, environmental factors, and human activities. In this study, we conducted cyclic shear tests to investigate the effect of joint geometry (persistence, overlap, and spacing) on the cyclic shear behavior of intermittent joints under constant normal stiffness conditions. Our results revealed step-path failure surfaces comprising tensile and shear failure surfaces. Shear failure surface controlled the degradation of shear properties, with shear strength decreasing progressively with cycles, ranging from 74.07% to 97.94%. Intermittent joints exhibited significant compressibility, with dilation predominant in early cycles and compression in later ones. Shear strength and dilation were more sensitive to joint persistence and spacing than overlap. Friction coefficients showed nonmonotonic variations with cycle number. High persistence, moderate overlap, and small spacing were identified as the most destabilizing combination. These findings offer valuable insights for stability assessment and deformation characterization in deep rock engineering.

Keywords

constant normal stiffness / cyclic shear load / intermittent joints / joint configuration / shear behavior / shear strength

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2025 The Author(s). Deep Underground Science and Engineering published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of China University of Mining and Technology.