Evolution laws of strength parameters of soft rock at the post-peak considering stiffness degradation

To evaluate the strength attenuation law of soft rock in the western mining area of China, we established an evolution model for the strength parameters of soft mudstone at the post-peak stage by employing a tri-linear strain softening model. In the model, a stiffness degradation coefficient ω and a softening modulus coefficient α were introduced to take into account the stiffness degradation, and the subsequent yield surfaces at post-peak stage were all assumed to meet the Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion. Furthermore, attenuation laws of stiffness and strength parameters of soft mudstone were analyzed according to an engineering case. Finally, the model’s accuracy was verified by comparison of results from numerical calculation and tri-axial compression tests. Results showed that the attenuation of the friction angle was dominated mainly by the instantaneous stress states and damage features, while the attenuation law of cohesion was also related to the plastic behavior. The degradation rates of strength parameters decreased with increasing confining pressure and the friction angle tended towards its initial value. Residual strengths were also enhanced with increasing confining pressure. The results indicate that the evolution model can accurately describe the strain softening behavior of soft rock.