Experimental and Numerical Simulation of the Effects of Soft Filling on the Uniaxial Compression Behavior of Hard Rock Mass

In this paper, Gypsum filling slab with different thikness were inserted between the two granite specimens. three different gypsum thiknesses were prepared i.e. ۳cm, ۵cm and ۷cm. Within the gypsym specimen, three imbeded notches were provided. The notch lengths were ۲ cm. Angle of the joints were ۰°, ۴۵° and ۹۰°. Dimension of Granite specimens were ۱۵cm*۱۵cm*۳cm. Totally ۹ different models were tested under compression test. Cuncurrent with experimental tests, numerical simulation were performed on the models containing notched gypsum filling. Modeles were tested under uniaxial compression. the results showed that the failure process was mostly governed by both of the filling thikness and notch angle. The compressive strengths of the specimens were related to the fracture pattern and failure mechanism of the filling. Furthermore it was shown that the compressive behaviour of discontinuities is related to the number of the induced tensile cracks which are increased by increasing the filling thikness. Finally, the failure pattern and failure strength are similar in both methods i.e. the experimental testing and the numerical simulation methods.