Numerical simulation of the shear strength of the shot-earth 772-granite interface

• Published in: Construction & building materials 2023-01, Vol.363, p.129450, Article 129450
• Main Authors: Vantadori, Sabrina, Colpo, Angélica B., Friedrich, Leandro F., Iturrioz, Ignacio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Damage; Frictional sliding; Granite; Lattice Discrete Element Method; Shear strength; Shot-earth 772
• ISSN: 0950-0618; 1879-0526
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.129450

•The shear strength of the shot-earth 772-granite interface is numerically investigated.•The Lattice Discrete Element Method is used.•A novel constitutive law considering friction between the crack faces is implemented.•The shear strength is estimated by varying the normal pressure.•A detailed analysis on damage evolution is performed. In the present paper, the shear strength of the shot-earth 772-granite interface is simulated through a numerical Lattice Discrete Element model, since there is no experimental data available in the literature relatively to such a property. To such an aim, a new constitutive law for the discrete elements is proposed, which allows to capture the dissipated energy due to the damage produced by both material degradation and frictional sliding along rough crack surfaces. Firstly, the model is calibrated by considering a direct shear testing between a shotcrete and a granite. Then, the model is applied to simulate the shear strength of the shot-earth 772-granite interface. The shear strength is estimated by varying the normal pressure, and a detailed analysis is performed on the damage evolution.