• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.113-121
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• 2012

The mechanical characteristics of a fault gouge from near Mt. Kumjung in Kumjung-Gu, Busan, were estimated from laboratory tests on different joint models. Fault gouge samples and joint samples in biotite granite were obtained from boreholes in the study area that had penetrated small faults associated with the Dongnae and Yangsan faults. XRD and SEM analyses revealed that for the fault gouge consists of several clay minerals with tabular structure (kaolinite, montmorillonite, illite, sericite), which could cause the considerable reduction of shear strength when wet. The shear strength of the fault gouge was obtained from direct shear tests of the fault gouge itself and from direct shear tests of several natural/artificial joint surfaces coated with fault gouge. The results indicate that the reduction of shear strength is more abrupt for the joint surfaces coated with fault gouge compared with uncoated joint surfaces, and that the friction angle of the fault gouge between joint surfaces is much lower than the internal friction angle of the fault gouge itself. Fault gouges in contact with rock, therefore, could have a stronger negative effect on the stability of structures in rock masses than the fault gouge itself.