Abstract
A plane-strain apparatus for "soft" (unconfined compressive strengths below 35 MPa) rock has been designed and built at the University of Minnesota based upon a passive, stiff-frame design. The unique feature of the device is that no kinematic constraints are imposed on the formation of a shear band. By placing the upper platen on a linear bearing, the specimen has the freedom to form a failure mechanism consisting of two elastic bodies separated by a localized zone of deformation. Thus, the apparatus has the advantages of both direct shear and conventional compression testing.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages | 667-674 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| State | Published - 1991 |
| Event | 32nd U.S. Symposium on Rock Mechanics, USRMS 1991 - Norman, United States Duration: Jul 10 1991 → Jul 12 1991 |
Other
| Other | 32nd U.S. Symposium on Rock Mechanics, USRMS 1991 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | Norman |
| Period | 7/10/91 → 7/12/91 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This article is based upon work partially supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. MSS-8906185) and the Institute of Technology of the University of Minnesota. The plane-strain apparatus, with patent pending, was co-invented by J. Labuz, I. Vardoulakis, and A. Drescher.
Publisher Copyright:
© 1991 Balkema, Rotterdam.