Tilting and Stick-Slip Tests for Evaluating Static and Dynamic Frictional Properties of Rock Discontinuities

Static and dynamic frictional properties of rock discontinuities are of great importance in the evaluation of the initiation of failure and post-failure motions of rock engineering structures as well as the rupture and strong motions induced by earthquake faults in earthquake science. Nevertheless, experiments on static and dynamic frictional properties of rock discontinuities are very rare. In this study, the authors describe tilting and stick-slip experiments on various natural rock discontinuities and saw-cut surfaces to determine their static and dynamic frictional properties. Furthermore, these experimental results are compared with each other to discuss the static and dynamic frictional properties of rock discontinuities from tilting and stick-slip tests. Experimental results show that peak (static) friction angle for discontinuity surfaces obtained from tilting tests and stick-slip experiments are very close to each other. In this paper, it is demonstrated that the static and dynamic frictional properties of rock discontinuities can be determined from tilting and stick-slip tests.Experimental results confirm that peak (static) friction angle for discontinuity surfaces obtained from tilting tests are very close to those obtained from stick-slip experiments.The experimental results could be useful for researchers dealing with the estimation of post-failure motions of failed bodies in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering as well as strong motion simulations in Earthquake Science and Engineering.

Automated summary

The static and dynamic frictional properties of rock discontinuities play a crucial role in evaluating the failure and post-failure motions of rock engineering structures, as well as the rupture and strong motions induced by earthquake faults. However, there are limited experiments on these properties. This study conducted tilting and stick-slip experiments on various natural rock discontinuities to determine their frictional properties, and the results showed that the static and dynamic friction angles were similar. These findings provide valuable information for researchers in fields such as Rock Mechanics, Rock Engineering, and Earthquake Science and Engineering.