Fracture characteristics and the damage constitutive model of 3D printing undulating joint samples based on DIC

Due to the influence of geological structures, various forms of joint structural planes are present in rock mass engineering. The undulating structural planes, such as a torsional fold surface, are unique geological structures. These structures affect the stability of rock masses and cause potential hazards to rock mass engineering. Because of their shape complexity, the research on the fracture and damage constitutive law of rock mass with undulating joints is not thoroughly conducted. Undulating joints with various dip angles were fabricated using three-dimensional printing technology. The uniaxial compression test and digital image correlation (DIC) technology were used to study the mechanical and fracture characteristics of undulating joint specimens. Based on the principle of fracture mechanics, an idea was proposed to use the DIC displacement field for solving the stress intensity factor (SIF: type one K_I and type two K_II) at the joint tips and to study the damage constitutive law. The results show that the upper limit of undulating joint damage to specimens is determined with 46.6% through the minimum strength analysis. The sensitivity of uniaxial strength to a joint dip angle of undulating joint specimen is greater than that of a straight joint specimen. The fracture initiation occurs near peak stress. The fracture process can be divided into the initiation and synchronous penetration of microcracks on the fracture path. Additionally, the fracture mode shows a combination of multiple tension and shear fractures. The SIF increases with loading at the prepeak stage, and the cracks propagate in shear fracture at the joint left and right tips in the postpeak stage because K_II>K_I under the same stress. The undulating joint damage to the specimen with the dip angle is in a sinusoidal curve form. The relationships between the total damage coupled by joint and load with strain are all “S” curves.