The Shear Strength Behaviour of Natural Joint Infill.

Abstract The shear strength of the infill or gouge material inside infilled joints has a serious impact on the infilled joint shear strength. Initial Barton’s study considers only the infill strength as an infilled joint strength. Things have changed since then now asperity, joint roughness, infill particle size also plays critical role in infill joints. This study giving proper justification in analyzing the role of particle sizes of infill material in the shear strength of infill joints. Direct shear environment in insitu natural joints are simulated through plane Plaster of Paris joints filled with lime stone infill with different grades of sizes in infill material. The choice of limestone infill is due to its strong affinity to seepage water. This study giving comparisons of shear strengths with respect to different grades of sizes of infill lime stone in plane Plaster of Paris(POP) limestone infilled joints in CNL condition.