Numerical Analysis for the Progressive Failure of Binary-Medium Interface under Shearing

Binary-medium specimens were fabricated using the particle flow code, and the shear strength, dilatancy, and failure behavior of the binary-medium specimens with different bond strength ratios (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0) under different normal stresses were studied. Numerical results show that the bond strength ratio and normal stresses considerably influence the shear strengths of binary-medium interface. Shear strength increases as the bond strength ratio and normal stress increase. The dilation of interfaces with high bond strength ratios is more evident than those of interfaces with lower bond strength ratios, and the curves for the high bond strength ratio exhibit remarkable fluctuations during the residual stage. At increased normal stress and bond strength ratio, the peak dilation angle shows decreasing and increasing trends successively. In this study, the specimens exhibited three kinds of failure modes. In mode II, the sawtooth experienced shear failure, but some tensile cracks appeared on the interface of the binary-medium. In mode III, no sawtooth was cut off, indicating tensile failure on the interface. At a low bond strength ratio, damage or failure is mostly concentrated in the upper part of the model. Failure parts gradually transfer to the lower part of the model when the bond strength ratio and normal stress increase. Furthermore, evident tensile cracks occur on the interface. When the bond strength ratio reaches 1.0, the failure mode of the specimen gradually transforms from sheared-off failure to chip-off failure. The number of microcracks in the specimens indicates that the lower the bond strength ratio, the more severe the damage on the specimens.

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