Abstract
Cracking behaviour of silty mudstone with existing flaws can trigger slope instability. However, the mechanics of multi-fractured silty mudstone have not been adequately examined. To handle this issue, the study employs a comprehensive approach to investigate the mechanical characteristics and cracking mechanism of fractured silty mudstone combing uniaxial compression test conducted by similar material specimens, cracking strength model, macro damage model, and PFC. Similar material specimens containing prefabricated fractures are prepared using steel sheet insertion during curing. Results show that peak strength initially decreases and subsequently increases as the facture dip angle (β) increases, minimizing at 45° under uniaxial compressive load. The more fracture there exists, the greater reduction in peak strength. The failure morphology of fractured silty mudstone can be categorized into tensile failure, shear failure, and tensile-shear combined failure. Theoretical models confirm that the crack strength depends on β and fracture length (a), aligning with experimental results while crack strength exhibit inversely proportional to a. The simulation results are in good correlation with test results, verifying the reliability of the simulated approach combined with theoretical analysis. Overall, the novel contribution of this paper lies in the multilateral elucidation of the failure mechanism in silty mudstone containing multiple fractures.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 52108397, 51838001, 51878070, 52078066, 52078067, and 42207204), the National Natural Science Foundation of Hunan province (2022JJ40485), Water Resources Science and Technology Project of Hunan Province (No. XSKJ2021000-43, XSKJ2022068-26), the China Scholarship Council (202208070060) and the Projects in Engineering and Technical Center of Hunan Provincial Environmental Protection for River-Lake Dredging Pollution Control (No. EPD202102) is gratefully acknowledged.
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Liu, J., Zhang, H., Bian, H. et al. Uniaxial Mechanical Properties and Failure Characteristics of Fractured Silty Mudstone. KSCE J Civ Eng 28, 139–154 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-023-0200-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-023-0200-3