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The Effect of Normal Load Oscillation Amplitude on the Frictional Behavior of a Rough Basalt Fracture

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Abstract

Quantifying the changes of frictional strength during dynamic normal loading is significant for investigations of joint and fault interaction as well as earthquake triggering. The frictional character of a natural basalt rock fracture with a rough surface is investigated by conducting well-controlled, repeatable direct shear experiments using a large-scale dynamic shear box equipment. Normal force oscillations, simulating a dynamic normal force, are applied to the fractured basalt sample. Simultaneously, a shear force acts on the lower block of the sample which provides a constant slip rate. The frictional behavior is investigated by applying a normal load with oscillation amplitude from 0 up to 80% of the initial normal load. Experimental results showed that the dynamic disturbance decreases the friction of the rock fracture, the minimum friction reduces with rising normal load oscillation amplitude. The dynamic disturbance enhances the maximum shear force under the smaller normal load oscillation amplitude. When the normal load oscillation amplitude exceeds a critical point, the maximum shear force reduces, even reaching “negative” values. Moreover, a phase difference (D1) is identified between peak normal load and peak shear load with peak normal load leading. There is also a phase difference (D2) between peak normal load and peak apparent dynamic friction coefficient. The phase difference of D1 rises with rising normal load oscillation amplitude, decreases with shearing, while, relative phase lag of D2 keeps constant. Our results confirm that dynamic normal force can both enhance and reduce the stability of a steadily slipping fracture depending on the normal force oscillation amplitude.

Highlights

  • Dynamic normal load can both enhance and reduce the stability of the steadily creeping faults dependent on the normal load oscillation amplitude.

  • A critical normal load oscillation amplitude is confirmed to judge the frictional strengthening or frictional weakening of the creeping rock fracture.

  • A time difference between peak normal force and peak shear force with normal force ahead is confirmed.

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Abbreviations

A :

Normal load oscillation amplitude

A * :

Critical normal load oscillation amplitude

F sd :

Dynamic normal load

F N :

Initial normal load

f :

Normal load oscillation frequency

t :

Time

F s :

Shear force

ΔF s1 ΔF s2 :

Variation of shear force

Δμ d1 Δμ d2 :

Variation of dynamic coefficient of friction

Δd 1 Δd 2 :

Variation of vertical displacement

μ ss :

Initial friction coefficient

μ d :

Dynamic friction coefficient

μ dmax :

Maximum value of dynamic friction coefficient in a cycle

μ dmin :

Minimum value of dynamic friction coefficient in a cycle

D1 :

Time difference between normal stress and shear stress

D2 :

Time difference between normal stress and apparent friction coefficient

D3 :

Time difference between normal stress and vertical displacement

E :

Energy consumption

Ɛ:

Normalized normal load oscillation amplitude, i.e., A/FN

u :

Slip length

u max :

Maximum slip length

v :

Slip rate

Z i :

Asperity height

n :

Number

Δ x :

Interval of data points

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51904359, 51978677, 52111530089), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province of China (2020A151501528), the Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology (Grant No. 2019ZT08G090), the Enhanced National Key Basic Research Program (2019-JCJQ-ZD-352-00-04) and Science and Technology Program for Sustainable Development of Shenzhen (KCXFZ202002011008532). Special thanks to Dr. Thomas Frühwirt, who helped to generate the dynamic signals, Mr. Tom Weichmann, who helped to operate the shear box device, and Mr. Gerd Münzberger, who helped to install the samples during laboratory testing. The laboratory test data can be download at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.12403538.v1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519082, China

    Wengang Dang

  2. Geotechnical Institute, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Gustav-Zeuner-Straße 1, 09599, Freiberg, Germany

    Heinz Konietzky

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  1. Wengang Dang
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Correspondence to Wengang Dang.

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Dang, W., Konietzky, H. The Effect of Normal Load Oscillation Amplitude on the Frictional Behavior of a Rough Basalt Fracture. Rock Mech Rock Eng 55, 3385–3397 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-022-02815-w

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