Abstract

How to reveal the physical mechanism affecting the contact and friction behavior of geomaterials is still a challenging problem in predicting geological disasters, such as landslides and earthquakes. We develop a multiscale friction model that describes the microscopic creep behavior of asperities and the macroscopic sliding friction behavior of geomaterial. The theoretical asperities contact creep model can characterize the random contact process of the interface friction through porosity which can successfully capture the transition from the mechanical properties of microscopic asperities to the macroscopic interface friction-slip behavior. The theoretical model also verifies that the friction behavior of the geomaterials is closely related to their temperature, activation energy, and saturation. Thus, the developed mode offers a theoretical basis for better understanding the mechanical mechanism affecting the contact and friction behavior of the geomaterials. Meanwhile, it would considerably help to predict future geological disasters quantitatively.