Abstract: In order to obtain the characteristics of the acoustic emission (AE) during the deformation process of rock samples, this paper presents the structural plane shear tests of three types of rock samples, including basalt, sandstone and limestone from Zhejiang Province. The results indicate that the acoustic emission characteristics of three typical types of rock samples have general similarities. The results also show that the variation characteristics of AE and shear stress of three types of rock samples under the condition of shearing along the structural plane are similar. The correlation between the AE and the shear stress is highly related. The occurrence and the characteristics of AE are closely related to the roughness of the structural plane. The cumulative ringing number and cumulative energy of limestone and sandstone increase sharply from 60% of the total shear displacement. Results from the basalt samples show a step-by-step ascending feature after reaching the peak shear stress. The results can be used as a reference for the monitoring and the prediction of landslides in rock mass in Zhejiang Province.

Key words: acoustic emission (AE), skewed shear test, rock mass, structural plane