Abstract:The results of experiments of seepage characteristics of a single rock fracture under shear stresses are presented. The experimental arrangement permitted shear stress to be obtained without causing displacement of the two fracture surfaces,so that their original geometry is retained. Tests show that fracture water flow conforms to the Darcy′s law,i. e.,flow quantity is lineal with water pressure. With shear stress increasing,the mean aperture and permeability of fracture decrease lineally,and the relationship between shear stress and seepage characteristic is verified theoretically. Compared with the phases during and after dilation,it has shown that the shear stress slightly affects the seepage characteristics.