Experimental and numerical study of shear behavior of concrete-soft rock joint: with the approach of concrete penetration in rock pores

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Dept. of Mining Engineering, Hamedan University of Technology, Hamedan, Iran

2 Dept. of Mining Engineering, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

10.22034/anm.2026.23851.1704

Abstract

In this study, the shear behavior of the concrete-soft rock joint was simulated using PFC2D software (particle flow code), and the results were compared with physical tests. The concrete-rock joint has different geometries, and concrete was also infiltrated into the gypsum pores. Specimens with dimensions of 15 cm × 15 cm × 5 cm were made containing gypsum and concrete layers. The concrete was placed in the middle of the specimen and surrounded by gypsum on both sides so that the concrete could penetrate the gypsum.
Nine different geometries were selected for the concrete-stone joint, namely, symmetrical zigzag joint, asymmetrical zigzag joint, and flat joint. The height of the concrete teeth, the base of the concrete teeth, and the angles of the teeth were also varied. In the fixed joint, the concrete penetrates the plaster from one, two, and three channels on each side. 27 different models were prepared. The samples were placed in the UCS (Uniaxial Compressive Strength) machine using special molds and tested under punch shear loading. Simultaneously with the tests, numerical simulation was also performed. In this way, the model was calibrated in the PFC software, and then numerical modeling of the shear behavior of the concrete-stone joint was performed.

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