Loading History Effect on Stress Relaxation of Rock Joints

<div>Relaxation curves of 10° discontinuities under different stress levels: (a) before superposition, <svg height="9.25202pt" id="M51" style="vertical-align:-3.29111pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -5.96091 10.5004 9.25202" width="10.5004pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M471 456L444 459C426 433 414 430 388 430C324 430 270 434 216 434C103 434 51 374 23 338L43 317C96 366 146 380 221 375L154 109C149 86 147 68 147 52C147 4 168 -12 197 -12C240 -12 291 25 334 71L320 96C295 75 268 58 252 58C238 58 227 79 238 138C251 211 272 296 292 372C310 372 332 368 350 368C391 368 421 369 434 371C444 388 455 413 471 456Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,5.434,3.132)"><path d="M245 635C92 635 37 457 37 312C37 149 91 -12 244 -12C395 -12 449 166 449 312C449 469 395 635 245 635ZM243 598C332 598 358 454 358 312C358 173 334 26 245 26C158 26 128 174 128 313S152 598 243 598Z"></path></g></svg> = 3.924 MPa; (b) after superposition, <svg height="9.25202pt" id="M52" style="vertical-align:-3.29111pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -5.96091 10.5004 9.25202" width="10.5004pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M471 456L444 459C426 433 414 430 388 430C324 430 270 434 216 434C103 434 51 374 23 338L43 317C96 366 146 380 221 375L154 109C149 86 147 68 147 52C147 4 168 -12 197 -12C240 -12 291 25 334 71L320 96C295 75 268 58 252 58C238 58 227 79 238 138C251 211 272 296 292 372C310 372 332 368 350 368C391 368 421 369 434 371C444 388 455 413 471 456Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,5.434,3.132)"><path d="M245 635C92 635 37 457 37 312C37 149 91 -12 244 -12C395 -12 449 166 449 312C449 469 395 635 245 635ZM243 598C332 598 358 454 358 312C358 173 334 26 245 26C158 26 128 174 128 313S152 598 243 598Z"></path></g></svg> = 3.924 MPa.</div>

Advances in Civil Engineering

Loading History Effect on Stress Relaxation of Rock Joints

Figure 9