Comparative Investigation on the Compression–Shear and Tension–Shear Behaviour of Sandstone at Different Shearing Rates

Direct shear tests on rocks under compression–shear stress conditions have been widely conducted, whereas few have been performed under tension–shear stress conditions. However, rocks exhibit tension–shear failures in many scenarios, such as in the excavation disturbed zone in deep underground caverns and high slopes. A series of direct shear tests were performed with cuboid sandstone specimens under different normal tensile stresses (σn = − 3,...