Understanding the shear strength characteristics of rock fractures is crucial for a wide range of rock engineering applications. The strength of rock fractures is significantly dependent on fracture geometry that can be altered during historical shearing process. This study presents a brief analysis of repeated direct shear of a mated fracture. We conducted five repeated shear test simulations under constant normal load conditions using a predictive shear model presented in our previous work. The fracture surface used in the first round of shear simulation is scanned from a natural granite fracture surface. After shearing, the fracture surfaces are repeatedly used for the next rounds of shear simulations. The results generally show that the repeated shear induces irreversible surface degradation, which reduces the shear strength and normal displacement. The findings of this study are helpful for understanding the shear behavior of rock fractures.
QC 20240829 Part of ISBN [9781032551449]