Surface Morphology of Structural Plane and Effects of the Shear Strength Parameters

Abstract

The surface morphology of a discontinuous structural plane in a natural rock mass is irregular. In studies on the shear strength of discontinuous structural planes, Barton introduced the joint roughness coefficient (JRC) to describe and calibrate the morphological characteristics of a rough structural plane. To describe Barton’s typical rough profile model, researchers commonly conduct a comparison based on a standard curve. This approach does not guarantee graphic precision. With subjective comparison reference drawing, the size and angle of a structural plane cannot be quantitatively controlled, and small bumps cannot be described. When the influence of the roughness coefficient of a rock surface is discussed, errors are caused by comparing Barton’s typical roughness profile model and a general structural surface model. This paper proposed a new method to simulate Barton’s typical structural surface. A numerical model of a complex structural plane is built automatically. The effects of cohesion and internal friction angle on the shear strength of the structural plane are discussed by changing the value of the shear strength parameters.