Much geotechnical construction needs to be carried out under the condition of stepped excavation. However, there is still a lack of research on crack coalescence and failure modes of jointed rock mass under stepped excavation conditions. In order to simulate the stepped excavation test of the real project, the polylactic acid (PLA) material is selected as the filler for the excavation area. The stepped excavation tests are performed on sandstone specimens containing a preexisting joint under different normal load conditions. The dynamic stepped...
