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Experimental study on the velocity-dependent frictional resistance of a rough rock fracture exposed to normal load vibrations

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Abstract

Changes in shear velocity can strengthen or weaken the frictional resistance of joints/faults in natural systems, but the mechanism remains unclear. We investigated the shear behavior of a rough basalt fracture in well-controlled, repeatable shear tests under constant and dynamic normal load conditions at different shear velocities. Normal load vibrations, simulating a dynamic normal load, were applied to the upper block of a fractured basalt sample. Simultaneously, a shear load was applied to the bottom block, providing a constant shear velocity. The peak shear strength increased with increasing shear velocity under constant normal load conditions. The peak shear strength decreased at a lower shear velocity under normal load vibrations. When the shear velocity exceeded the critical value, vc, the peak shear strength increased. The apparent coefficient of friction reduced under normal load vibrations. The reduction in the dynamic coefficient of friction increased with increasing shear velocity. We identified a phase shift between the peak normal load and peak shear load with peak shear load delay (D1) and a phase shift between peak normal load and the peak coefficient of friction with the peak coefficient of friction delay (D2). D1 and D2 were dependent on the quasi-static coefficient of friction and shear velocity, and both decreased with increasing shear velocity. D1 decreased with the increasing quasi-static coefficient of friction, while D2 was almost constant with changes in the quasi-static coefficient of friction. A new shear strength criterion was proposed for a rough joint under a constant shear velocity and normal load vibrations.

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Abbreviations

F s :

Quasi-static normal force (kN)

F d :

Dynamic normal force amplitude (kN)

F s d :

Dynamic normal force (kN)

F shear :

Shear force (kN)

σ n :

Initial normal stress (MPa)

σ :

Final normal stress (MPa)

τ :

Shear stress (MPa)

S :

Nominal area of the shear plane (m2)

f :

Frequency (Hz)

t :

Time (s)

v :

Shear velocity (mm/min)

v c :

Critical shear velocity (mm/min)

f static :

Coefficient of quasi-static friction, i.e., initial coefficient of friction (–)

f dynamic :

Coefficient of dynamic friction (–)

ΔF N :

Changes of normal force (kN)

ΔF s :

Changes of shear force (kN)

ΔF N1 :

Changes of normal force in the loading stage (kN)

ΔF N2 :

Changes of normal force in the unloading stage (kN)

ΔF s1 :

Changes of shear force in the loading stage (kN)

ΔF s2 :

Changes of shear force in the unloading stage (kN)

Δf s1 :

Changes of coefficient of friction in the loading stage (–)

Δf s2 :

Changes of coefficient of friction in the unloading stage (–)

Δd 1 :

Changes of normal displacement in the loading stage (mm)

Δd 2 :

Changes of normal displacement in the unloading stage (mm)

ΔFyield :

Difference of Fshear between steady-state peak and initial level prior to vibration (kN)

Δτ :

Transient change in shear stress (MPa)

Δt :

Time shift (s)

D1:

Phase shift between peak normal force and peak shear force (–)

D2:

Phase shift between peak normal force and peak friction coefficient (–)

a :

Factor 1 (–)

b :

Factor 2 (–)

α :

Parameter 1 (–)

β :

Parameter 2 (–)

\({\rho }_{\tau }\) :

Modulus of the normalized shear stress change (–)

\({\gamma }_{\tau }\) :

Phase shift (°)

E :

Energy consumption (J)

d :

Shear displacement (mm)

Ψ:

State of the asperity contacts (–)

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (51678578 , 51904359 & 51978677), Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province of China (2020A151501528), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (19lgzd41), Natural Science Foundation of Shenzhen (JCYJ20190807162401662), and the Open Research Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, CUMT (SKLCRSM20KF002). Special thanks to Prof. Heinz Konietzky, Dr. Thomas Frühwirt, Mr. Tom Weichmann, Mrs. Beatrice Tauch and Mr. Gerd Münzberger for help during laboratory testing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, People’s Republic of China

    Wengang Dang & Junpeng Chen

  2. State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology, No. 1 University Road, Xuzhou, 221116, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Wengang Dang

  3. Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai, 519082, People’s Republic of China

    Wengang Dang & Linchong Huang

  4. School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, People’s Republic of China

    Linchong Huang

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  1. Wengang Dang
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Dang, W., Chen, J. & Huang, L. Experimental study on the velocity-dependent frictional resistance of a rough rock fracture exposed to normal load vibrations. Acta Geotech. 16, 2189–2202 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-021-01168-y

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