Failure of stepped joints: an analysis and comparison with a measured failure geometry

In this paper a shear analysis is developed that models the shearing and sliding process. The mechanism of failure assumed in this analysis is then compared to the behaviour of two concrete stepped joint models. The models were tested in a direct shear machine and the failure geometry of these tests is summarized. As a result of these tests, a failure mode map is developed in which the failure envelopes based on the four mechanisms of failure (sliding, rotation, splitting and shear) are plotted.