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Rock Discontinuities at Different Scales: New Advances from Lab Tests...
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Rock Discontinuities at Different Scales: New Advances from Lab Tests to Field Applications

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Engineering and Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (17 February 2024) | Viewed by 5171

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Fanzhen Meng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Science, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
Interests: rock mechanics; geomechanics; rockburst; rock fractures
Dr. Wengang Dang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
Interests: rock mechanics; rock joints; dynamic shear; fluid flow in rock fractures

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rock discontinuities (joints, fractures, bedding plane, faults) are ubiquitous and usually with different scales in the rock mass as results of geological tectonism or excavation unloading. Those discontinuities provide not only preferential pathways for groundwater flow and heat exchange, but also weak planes to favor the shear failure of different rock engineerings such as rock slopes, tunnels and dam foundations. A number of geological disasters such as landslides, fault slip rockbursts, induced earthquakes and water inrush are associated with the shear failure of rock discontinuities. Therefore the study on the geometrical, physical and mechanical properties of rock discontinuities with various scales is of great importance for safe construction of rock engineering and subsurface energy recovery. This Special Issue aims to provide an opportunity to researchers in the relevant research fields to conduct a broad scientific and technological discussion on advances in rock discontinuities from lab to the field spanning different scales. The research methodology includes experimental, analytical, numerical, and field studies. Review and research articles are both welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Fanzhen Meng
Dr. Wengang Dang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fracture roughness characterization
  • optical and acoustic monitoring
  • shear behavior of rock discontinuities
  • dynamic slip of rock fractures
  • shear flow in fractured rock
  • induced earthquake
  • fault slip rockburst
  • landslide in rock slopes

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 19324 KiB  
Article
Numerical Investigation for the Effect of Joint Persistence on Rock Slope Stability Using a Lattice Spring-Based Synthetic Rock Mass Model
by Mariam Al-E’Bayat, Dogukan Guner, Taghi Sherizadeh and Mostafa Asadizadeh
Sustainability 2024, 16(2), 894; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020894 - 20 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1015
Abstract
This study underscores the profound influence of rock joints, both persistent and non-persistent with rock bridges, on the stability and behavior of rock masses—a critical consideration for sustainable engineering and natural structures, especially in rock slope stability. Leveraging the lattice spring-based synthetic rock [...] Read more.
This study underscores the profound influence of rock joints, both persistent and non-persistent with rock bridges, on the stability and behavior of rock masses—a critical consideration for sustainable engineering and natural structures, especially in rock slope stability. Leveraging the lattice spring-based synthetic rock mass (LS-SRM) modeling approach, this research aims to understand the impact of persistent and non-persistent joint parameters on rock slope stability. The Slope Model, a Synthetic Rock Mass (SRM) approach-based code, is used to investigate the joint parameters such as dip angle, spacing, rock bridge length, and trace overlapping. The results show that the mobilizing zones in slopes with non-persistent joints were smaller and shallower compared to slopes with fully persistent joints. The joint dip angle was found to heavily influence the failure mode in rock slopes with non-coplanar rock bridges. Shallow joint dip angles led to tensile failures, whereas steeper joint dip angles resulted in shear-tensile failures. Slopes with wider joint spacings exhibited deeper failure zones and a higher factor of safety, while longer rock bridge lengths enhanced slope stability and led to lower failure zones. The overlapping of joint traces has no apparent impact on slope stability and failure mechanism. This comprehensive analysis contributes valuable insights into sustainable rock engineering practices and the design of resilient structures in natural environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rock Discontinuities at Different Scales: New Advances from Lab Tests to Field Applications)
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17 pages, 9772 KiB  
Article
Bearing Characteristics of Rock Joints under Different Bolts Installation Angles and Their Underlying Mechanism
by Jianrong Liu, Rongchao Wang, Hengjie Luan, Haifeng Zuo, Yujing Jiang, Sunhao Zhang and Xinpeng Li
Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 12876; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151712876 - 25 Aug 2023
Viewed by 951
Abstract
To explore the mechanical failure characteristics of bolted joints under different bolt installation angles and the effect of bolting on the shear strength of joints, a numerical model of structural plane anchoring with different bolt installation angles was established based on the improved [...] Read more.
To explore the mechanical failure characteristics of bolted joints under different bolt installation angles and the effect of bolting on the shear strength of joints, a numerical model of structural plane anchoring with different bolt installation angles was established based on the improved Pile element, and a series of uniaxial compression numerical tests were carried out to systematically study the effects of bolt installation angle on bolts. The results show that as the bolt installation angle increases, the peak stress of the specimen is first constant and then decreases, and the elastic modulus of the specimen decreases nonlinearly. When the bolt installation angle is lower than 45°, the bearing capacity of the joints is higher. The interaction between the bolt and the specimen’s force is mainly concentrated at the intersection of the structural plane and the area where the nut gaskets are installed at both ends of the bolt. The horizontal stress is higher in the area where the nut gaskets are installed at both ends of the bolt. With an increase in bolt installation angle, the plastic zone volume of the anchored joint specimen increases linearly with an exponential function. When the bolt installation angle is lower than 45°, the plastic zone volume increases slowly, and when the bolt installation angle is higher than 45°, the plastic zone volume increases rapidly. When the bolt installation angle is small, the contribution of the bolt axial force is greater than that of the bolt shear force. In contrast, when the bolt installation angle is large, the contribution of the bolt axial force is lower than the contribution of the bolt shear force. With an increase in bolt installation angle, the contribution of the bolt axial force decreases nonlinearly, the contribution of the bolt shear force increases linearly, and the shear resistance decreases nonlinearly. The optimal bolt installation angle is about 45°, but the optimal bolt installation angle also changes constantly under the influence of factors such as bolt type, rock strength, and external load. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rock Discontinuities at Different Scales: New Advances from Lab Tests to Field Applications)
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15 pages, 6721 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Cyclic Load Amplitude on Mechanical Response and Acoustic Emission Characteristics of Granite
by Handong Liu, Jialiang Wang, Huaichang Yu and Yiying Zhang
Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9228; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129228 - 7 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1019
Abstract
Cyclic loading and unloading tests with varying stress amplitudes were carried out to study the evolution trends of the elastic modulus, plastic strain, dissipated energy density, and acoustic emission events for granite under cyclic loading with accidental extreme stress. The results were as [...] Read more.
Cyclic loading and unloading tests with varying stress amplitudes were carried out to study the evolution trends of the elastic modulus, plastic strain, dissipated energy density, and acoustic emission events for granite under cyclic loading with accidental extreme stress. The results were as follows: (1) The loading deformation modulus before and after extreme stress is different. In addition, at extreme stress levels, the loading deformation modulus of granite specimens decreases by approximately 5~13%, but the unloading deformation modulus does not change significantly. (2) When extreme stress causes rock damage, most of the plastic deformation potential of the rock at this stress level is released in advance. The stress constantly varies in the subsequent low-amplitude cycle, and the plastic strain caused by the extreme stress is partly recovered. (3) As the extreme stress increases, the cumulative dissipated energy density of granite increases significantly. Compared with the control group without a stress extremum, the cumulative dissipated energy density of samples in two groups with stress extrema of 20 kN and 40 kN increased by 48% and 153%, respectively. (4) A significant acoustic emission event occurs only when the rock is subjected to a load exceeding the maximum historical stress for the first time, and the acoustic emission intensity is positively correlated with the difference between this stress and the historical maximum value. (5) Extreme stress values below the crack damage threshold reduce the crack growth potential of the rock in advance, and extreme stress above the crack damage threshold aggravates rock damage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rock Discontinuities at Different Scales: New Advances from Lab Tests to Field Applications)
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23 pages, 15928 KiB  
Article
Shear Behavior and Asperity Damage of 3D Rough Joints under CNS Boundary Conditions Based on CZM Simulation
by Shubo Zhang, Xin Zheng, Changsheng Wang and Gang Wang
Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5064; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065064 - 13 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1339
Abstract
Although boundary conditions can significantly impact the shear behaviors and asperity damage evolution of jointed rocks, numerical studies on the damage of 3D rough rock joints under the constant normal stiffness (CNS) boundary condition have rarely been reported. In this work, the three-dimensional [...] Read more.
Although boundary conditions can significantly impact the shear behaviors and asperity damage evolution of jointed rocks, numerical studies on the damage of 3D rough rock joints under the constant normal stiffness (CNS) boundary condition have rarely been reported. In this work, the three-dimensional model of the irregular joint surface is established by using point cloud reconstruction technology. Based on the cohesive zone model (CZM), we simulate the shear behavior of three-dimensional rough rock joints under the CNS boundary condition, which is realized by using embedded spring elements implemented with a Python subroutine. We conducted laboratory direct shear tests under CNS boundary conditions. The agreement with the laboratory experimental results verifies the fidelity of the numerical method. Our results show that boundary conditions can significantly affect the shear behavior of rock joints, especially in the post-peak stage. Under the same initial normal stress, the peak shear stress and the number of microcracks in the asperities increase significantly with the increase of normal stiffness. The proportion of shear cracks positively correlates with the normal stiffness, indicating that the normal stiffness affects the joint failure mode. The damaged area and the volume of asperities increase with the increase of normal stiffness. Moreover, the distribution of shear-induced asperity loss becomes more nonuniform, and the loss of joint roughness increases rapidly and nonlinearly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rock Discontinuities at Different Scales: New Advances from Lab Tests to Field Applications)
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