Investigation of Mechanical Behavior of a Rock Plane Using Rheological Tests

Abstract

This study reported an investigation on mechanical behavior of off-white marbles that were selected from a slope and underground cavern. The marble samples with weak structural planes were tested through the multistage loading shear rheological method. The results were used to evaluate the creep behavior of the weak structural planes. It was demonstrated from the obtained creep properties and creep rate characteristics of such structural planes under different normal stress conditions that the green schist weak structural planes showed obvious characteristics of brittle failure, and the shear-creep test curve of the structural plane exhibited three obvious stages. Established on the improved Burger model, a further discussion on the shear-creep mechanism was presented.