The Hydromechanical Performance of Idealized Rock Fissures

描述饱和岩石在有效应力扰动下的行为对理解岩石工程和构造物理学中的响应具有重要意义。特别令人感兴趣的是，在岩石节理相对有限的剪切位移下，水力导率的变化可能会表现出来。当正应力较低时，相对于组成节理壁的凸起的强度，膨胀开口将大大增加质量的空隙体积。由于水力排放的潜力与节理孔径变化的立方成比例地增加，因此适度的剪切偏移可能会产生极大的电导率增强。通过对剪切节理导电性增强的实验室和分析评价，研究了控制这一现象的基本参数。分析研究将允许在测试之前对理想接头剖面的预期性能进行量化。在大尺寸（12x12x12英寸块）和剪切载荷下进行的实验室测试套件将允许与分析结果进行直接比较。

Characterization of the behavior of saturated rock asses to imposed perturbations in effective stress is of fundamental importance in understanding response in rock engineering and tectonophysics. Of particular interest are the changes in hydraulic conductivitry that may be manifest under relatively limited shear displacement across rock joints. Where normal stresses are low, relative to the strength of asperities comprising the joint wall, dilational opening will greatly increase the void volume of the mass. Since the potential for hydraulic discharge is increased proportionally to the cube of the joint aperture change, extremely large conductivity enhancements may occur for modest shear offsets. The fundamental parameters controlling this phenomenon are investigated by conducting laboratory and analytical appraisals of conductivity enhancement of sheared joints. Analytical studies will allow the expected performance of idealized joint profiles to be quantified prior to testing. The suite of laboratory tests, conducted in large scale (12x12x12 inch blocks) and under shear loading, will allow direct comparison with the analytical results.