Shear stress distribution and characteristics of deformation for shear band-elastic body system at pre-peak and post-peak

The distributed shear stress and the displacement across shear band, the evolution of plastic zones, and the load-carrying capacity of rock specimen were investigated in plane strain direct shear test according to Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua （FLAC）. And then the shear displacement distribution in normal direction of system composed of localized shear band and elastic rock was analyzed based on gradient-dependent plasticity. The adopted failure criterion was a composite of Mohr-Coulomb criterion, that is, the relation between tension cut-off and postpeak constitutive of rock was linear strain-softening. Numerical results show that shear stress field approximately undergoes three different stages. At first, shear stress is only concentrated in the middle of top and base of specimen. Next, shear stress in the middle of specimen tends to increase, owing to superposition of shear stresses. Interestingly, two peaks of shear stress appear far from the loading ends of specimen, and the peaks approach with the increase in timestep until elements at the center of specimen yield. Finally, relatively lower shear stress level is reached in large part of specimen except in the regions near the two ends. As flow stress decreases, the analytical shear displacement distribution in shear band based on gradient-dependent plasticity becomes steeps outside the band, it is linear and its slope tends to decrease. These theoretical results qualitatively agree with that of the present numerical predicted results. Main advantage of the analytical solution over the numerical results according to FLAC is that it is continuous, smooth and non-linear （except at elastic stage）.

Shear stress distribution and characteristics of deformation for shear band-elastic body system at pre-peak and post-peak

The distributed shear stress and the displacement across shear band, the evolution of plastic zones, and the load-carrying capacity of rock specimen were investigated in plane strain direct shear test according to Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua (FLAC). And then the shear displacement distribution in normal direction of system composed of localized shear band and elastic rock was analyzed based on gradient-dependent plasticity. The adopted failure criterion was a composite of Mohr-Coulomb criterion, that is, the relation between tension cut-off and post-peak constitutive of rock was linear strain-softening. Numerical results show that shear stress field approximately undergoes three different stages. At first, shear stress is only concentrated in the middle of top and base of specimen. Next, shear stress in the middle of specimen tends to increase, owing to superposition of shear stresses. Interestingly, two peaks of shear stress appear far from the loading ends of specimen, and the peaks approach with the increase in timestep until elements at the center of specimen yield. Finally, relatively lower shear stress level is reached in large part of specimen except in the regions near the two ends. As flow stress decreases, the analytical shear displacement distribution in shear band based on gradient-dependent plasticity becomes steep; outside the band, it is linear and its slope tends to decrease. These theoretical results qualitatively agree with that of the present numerical predicted results. Main advantage of the analytical solution over the numerical results according to FLAC is that it is continuous, smooth and non-linear (except at elastic stage).