ABSTRACT CMS9522798 PI: Kulatilake, University of Arizona Satisfactory procedures are not available in rock mechanics to quantify joint roughness and to predict the peak shear strength of natural rock joints. Experimental, theoretical and analytical procedures will be applied in this research to: 1) evaluate the accuracy of the methods used to calculate roughness parameters of both stationary and non- stationary profiles representing discontinuity interface roughness, 2) find parameter sets which have the best capabilities in quantifying roughness of natural rock joints in one dimension, and use those sets to quantify roughness of natural joint surface in two dimensions, and 3) develop new peak shear strength criteria for rock joints which are capable of explaining the anisotropic behavior of peak strength due to roughness, as well as quantifying the dependence of peak shear strength on the effective normal stress.
