Abstract
Dynamic disturbance resulting from blasting, excavation, and earthquakes might change the stress state, friction characteristics, failure mechanism, and the fault’s failure mode, induce the activation of steady fault, and cause some further strong dynamic geological disasters, such as rockbursts. To reveal the activation mechanism and characteristics of faults under a certain stress environment and external dynamic normal disturbance loading, systematic superimposed dynamic normal disturbance shear tests of saw-cut bare granite surfaces (i.e. simulated fault in the lab) were conducted using self-developed multifunctional shear test apparatus. Approximate regular and periodic changes in shear stress, apparent friction coefficient, relative shear displacement, and slip velocity were noted in all tests accompanied by phase lags between the peak or valley shear stresses (apparent friction coefficient, relative shear displacement, and slip velocity) and imposed normal stress oscillation. The fault state change is related to disturbance amplitude and initial shear stress. It was noted that a higher disturbance amplitude and initial shear stress favored the occurrence of fault activation. An abrupt shear stress drop indicated the onset of fault activation, where the apparent friction coefficient was close to the static friction coefficient. Moreover, the onset time of fault activation would be advanced, and intensity would be enhanced as initial shear stress and disturbance amplitude increase. The research results could improve our understanding of the dynamic response characteristics of faults under dynamic disturbance loading and further reveal the corresponding activation mechanism.
Article highlights
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Dynamic triggering in fault activation was studied using superimposed dynamic normal disturbance shear tests.
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Evolution characteristics of typical parameters (stress, apparent friction coefficient, displacement, velocity) and corresponding phase lag were revealed for both inactivated and activated faults under superimposed dynamic normal disturbance loading.
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The critical state of activated faults was captured, and the effects of disturbance amplitude and initial shear stress on the critical state were evaluated.
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This work is supported by the Key Projects of the Yalong River Joint Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U1865203) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52109142).
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Cui, G., Zhang, C., Ye, J. et al. Influences of dynamic normal disturbance and initial shear stress on fault activation characteristics. Geomech. Geophys. Geo-energ. Geo-resour. 8, 159 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40948-022-00463-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40948-022-00463-6