BEHAVIOR OF JOINTS AND INTERFACES SUBJECTED TO WATER-PRESSURE

A coupled joint element based on the original Goodman's joint is propo sed. The joint element is developed to model both the stress-deformati on behaviour and water pressure response of rock joints or other inter faces. An elasto-plastic constitutive law is adopted to model the nonl inear deformation and because the effective stresses in the joint depe nd on the water pressures that are generated, the time-dependent behav iour of the joint element is of particular interest. Some simple numer ical tests are performed to test and illustrate the capabilities of th e joint element. The proposed joint element may have many applications in problems involving soil and rock joints or interfaces, especially when water pressure is a governing factor. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science L td.