An advanced shear strength criterion for rock discontinuities considering size and low shear rate

The shear strength of the rock discontinuities under different shear rates is of great importance to evaluate the stability of rock mass engineering, which is remarkably influenced by the size effects induced by both the length and the undulated amplitude of discontinuities. An advanced shear strength criterion taking into account the size and the shear rate simultaneously was proposed. There is an advantage of the dimension unity in terms of the new shear strength criterion in comparison to previous related empirical equations. Additionally, it can be degraded into the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM)-suggested Barton shear strength empirical equation on the peak shear strength of the rock discontinuities. Then, based on a new dynamic direct shear testing device on rock joints, the granite discontinuities with various lengths (200 mm to 1000 mm) and undulated amplitudes (3 mm to 23 mm) were designed to conduct direct shear tests under different low shear rates (0 mm/s to 1 mm/s) to verify the involved empirical equations. It was found that the results predicted by the new shear strength criterion agreed well with the experimental results. It was proved that the new shear strength criterion had a better applicability to characterize the shear strength of the rock discontinuities.