• Computers and Concrete
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.99-109
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• 2021

Experimental and discrete element methods were used to investigate the effects of echelon non-persistent joint on the failure behaviour of joint's bridge area under uniaxial compressive test. Concrete samples with dimension of 150 mm×100 mm×50 mm were prepared. Uniaxial compressive strength and tensile strength of concrete were 14 MPa and 1MPa, respectivly. Within the specimen, three echelon non-persistent notches were provided. These joints were distributed on the three diagonal plane. the angle of diagonal plane related to horizontal axis were 15°, 30° and 45°. The angle of joints related to diagonal plane were 30°, 45°, 60°. Totally, 9 different configuration systems were prepared for non-persistent joint. In these configurations, the length of joints were taken as 2 cm. Similar to those for joints configuration systems in the experimental tests, 9 models with different echelon non-persistent joint were prepared in numerical model. The axial load was applied to the model by rate of 0.05 mm/min. the results show that the failure process was mostly governed by both of the non-persistent joint angle and diagonal plane angle. The compressive strengths of the specimens were related to the fracture pattern and failure mechanism of the discontinuities. It was shown that the shear behaviour of discontinuities is related to the number of the induced tensile cracks which are increased by increasing the joint angle. The strength of samples increase by increasing both of the joint angle and diagonal plane angle. The failure pattern and failure strength are similar in both methods i.e. the experimental testing and the numerical simulation methods.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.99-110
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• 2017

In this paper, the effect of normal load on the failure mechanism of echelon joint has been studied using PFC2D. In the first step, calibration of PFC was undertaken with respect to the data obtained from experimental laboratory tests. Then, six different models consisting various echelon joint were prepared and tested under two low and high normal loads. Furthermore, validation of the simulated models were cross checked with the results of direct shear tests performed on non-persistent jointed physical models. The simulations demonstrated that failure patterns were mostly influenced by normal loading, while the shear strength was linked to failure mechanism. When ligament angle is less than $90^{\circ}$, the stable crack growth length is increased by increasing the normal loading. In this condition, fish eyes failure pattern occur in rock bridge. With higher ligament angles, the rock bridge was broken under high normal loading. Applying higher normal loading increases the number of fracture sets while dilation angle and mean orientations of fracture sets with respect to ligament direction will be decreased.