Dynamic Tensile Failure of the Rock Interface Between Tuff and Basalt

The dynamic tensile strength properties of the rock interface and its host rocks sampled from the Baihetan Hydropower Station from Western China were measured using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). The results were compared with those for its two host rocks. The dynamic tensile strengths of the two host rocks, tuff and basalt have typical loading rate dependence. However, the dynamic response of the rock interface is much more complicated and at a given loading rate, varies between those of tuff and basalt. To explain the observation, numerical simulation using the discrete element method (DEM) was conducted to determine the detailed tensile failure process of the rock interface. The numerical simulation verifies that the variation of the dynamic tensile strength of the rock interface is a result of the variation of the interface geometry.