Residual strength of ice filled rock joints

A number of landslide and rock fall events in recentyears have been connected with the warming permafrostin high mountain areas. This study investigatesthe shear strength of ice filled rock joints based on aseries of direct shear tests. Artificial samples madeof concrete with an idealised saw-tooth surface areused as described in detail by Gunzel (2008). Twosample types are used: "concrete-ice" samples,simulating an infill thicker than the amplitude of thejoint roughness and "sandwich" samples where theice filling is equal to the amplitude of the surfaceroughness (1mm).