The morphological characteristics of rock discontinuities directly influence the stability of rock slopes, making accurate evaluation of their morphology and reproducible preparation critically important. In this study, common protoliths were selected to prepare natural rock discontinuities through splitting tests. Three-dimensional scanning technology was employed to acquire point cloud data of the discontinuity surfaces. A novel method for calculating the root mean square of slope (Z2) considering shear direction was proposed and applied to evaluate three-dimensional morphological parameters using processed point cloud data. To validate the stability of reproducible preparation, discontinuities with varying 3D morphological parameters were fabricated based on standard JRC profiles using machining techniques, followed by quantitative evaluation via 3D scanning. Direct shear tests were conducted on the reproduced discontinuities to further verify the reliability of the preparation methods. The results demonstrate that:
(i) The proposed Z2 parameter considering shear direction is effective for processing 3D point cloud data of discontinuity surfaces.
(ii) Both 3D engraving and wire-cutting techniques are feasible for reproducible preparation of rock discontinuities.
(iii) Discontinuities with identical morphology prepared by these two methods exhibit consistent shear behavior, confirming the reliability of the preparation process.
This study provides a reference for addressing the challenge of insufficient sample size in rock discontinuity testing.
Southwest Jiaotong University, China (SWJTU) International Consortium on Geo-disaster Reduction (ICGdR) UNESCO Chair on Geoenvironmental Disaster Reduction
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Southwest Jiaotong University, China (SWJTU) International Consortium on Geo-disaster Reduction (ICGdR) UNESCO Chair on Geoenvironmental Disaster Reduction