Deformability characteristics of jointed rock masses under uniaxial compression

We investigated the combined influence of joint inclination angle and joint continuity factor on deformation behavior of jointed rock mass for gypsum specimens with a set of non-persistent open flaws in uniaxial compression. Complete axial stress-strain curves were classified into four types, i.e., single peak, softening after multi-peak yield platform, hardening after multi-peak yield platform and multi-peak during softening. Observation of crack evolution on the specimen surface reveals that the deformation behavior is correlated to the closure of pre-existing joint, development of fractures in rock matrix and teeth shearing of the shear plane. To investigate the brittleness of the specimens, the ratio of the residual strength to the maximum peak strength as well as the first and last peak strains were studied. At the same joint inclination angle, the ratios between residual strength and the maximum peak strength and the last peak strains increased while the first peak strain decreased with the increase of joint continuity factor. At the same joint continuity factor, the curves of the three brittleness parameters vs. joint inclination angle can either be concave or convex single-peak or wave-shaped. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of China University of Mining & Technology.