Objective Long-term creep deformation of a slope is significant for major engineering practice and the natural environment. A high and steep rock slope located in a high tectonic stress area can creep due to the elevated stress level of the slope. After long-term creep deformation accumulates, it can lead to the instability of the slope along the sliding surface. At this stage, the creep on the sliding surface controls the overall deformation of the slope. In general, the slope sliding surface is not entirely consistent with the rock mass structural plane, while the shear creep of the sliding surface is governed by the creep characteristics of the structural plane. Generally, the slope sliding surface is not entirely consistent with the rock mass structural plane, yet the shear creep of the sliding surface remains governed by the creep characteristics of the structural plane. Methods This study examined the effects of the angle and spacing between different structural planes and shear planes on the directional shear creep characteristics of the rock mass to thoroughly understand the creep failure mechanism of the slope along the slip surface, particularly the influence of the structural plane on the shear creep mechanical properties of the slip surface. The shear creep tests of the structural plane were designed, and the direct shear test and direct shear creep test under a certain normal force were conducted on the second (JRC=3) structural plane of the Barton standard joint profiles to determine its mechanical and creep mechanical properties. The creep curve obtained from the laboratory test was analyzed and fitted to establish the creep constitutive model and preliminary parameters of the structural plane. Based on numerical analysis, the direct shear creep numerical test was conducted on the horizontal structural plane specimen model, and the final constitutive parameters of the structural plane were obtained. Using these parameters, the numerical analysis of rock mass models under different angles between structural planes and the shear plane, and different spacings of structural planes was conducted. Results and Discussion Through these numerical experimentations, the creep mechanical properties, such as failure load and steady-state creep rate before failure, were analyzed. The results indicated that, for the rock mass with a single structural plane, different angles between structural planes and the shear plane significantly influenced the rock mass. When the angle between structural planes and the shear plane was less than 14°, the creep curve of the shear plane was controlled by the structural plane, and the shape of the creep curve resembled that of the structural plane. When the angle between structural planes and the shear plane was greater than 14°, the creep behavior was strongly influenced by the matrix, so the creep curve changed considerably, resembling that of the matrix. Under lower stress, creep did not essentially occur. The steady-state creep rate of the first stage before failure has great significance for practical engineering applications. The steady-state creep rate of the first stage before the failure load was related to the characteristics of the structural plane and the failure load. Under the same failure load, the larger the knot-shear angle, the smaller the shear creep rate. When the knot-shear angle increases, the failure load rises, and the shear creep rate also improves. Compared to the characteristics of the structural plane, the failure load has a greater influence on the shear creep rate. For the rock mass with different structural plane spacings, at the same knot-shear angle, a larger structural plane spacing causes the creep failure load to occur closer to the single structural plane creep curve. Conclusions When the spacing of structural planes was reduced to a certain extent, such as when the spacing was 50 mm, the shear displacement was similar, and the creep curve of the rock mass was closer to that of a single structural plane. When the spacing of structural planes was greater than 50 mm, the shear creep mechanical properties of the rock mass were similar to those of structural planes, and the influence of structural plane spacing on the shear plane can be ignored. The fitting formula between the density of the structural plane on the shear plane and the failure load was obtained. The critical structural density of the overall strength of the rock mass was 40.99%.
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