An Experimental Study of the Mechanical Behavior of a Weak Intercalated Layer

The article presents an experimental study of the mechanical behavior of a weak intercalated layer. The in situ samples were prepared from the rock mass of the Masanfeng cut slope, which is located in the city of Maanshan, China. From the measured shear stress-shear deformation relationships under different normal stresses, the shear deformation behavior and shear constitutive models of the weak intercalated layer were studied, and the strength parameters at different limit conditions were calculated. The constitutive function for normal deformation was derived from test results of the normal deformation. Micrometer dial gauges were reset to measure the displacements according to the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM)-suggested method to ensure accuracy. Steel boards were laid between the samples and the jacks to guarantee that the stress on the shear surface was uniform.