A Study on Thermal–Mechanical Coupling Behavior of Foliated Metamorphic Rocks

The foliated metamorphic rock displays notable anisotropy and heterogeneity, influencing its behavior, especially at high temperatures. This study comprehensively investigated it through triaxial compression tests on Hong-ye slate samples at various temperatures. The Discrete Element Method (DEM) analyzed deformation and failure mechanisms, initially validated at room temperature before examining the influence of foliation orientation on rock strength. The key findings and conclusions from the study include: (1) The loading angle, representing the angle between the major loading direction and foliation, significantly influenced rock mass strength. (2) Metamorphic rock strength showed a U-shaped variation with foliation orientation. (3) Rock strength notably decreased under high-temperature conditions. (4) The DEM model successfully simulated foliated metamorphic rock behavior at room temperature, enabling exploration of high-temperature effects on strength and failure patterns.