A novel random discrete element analysis of rock fragmentation

This paper presents a novel probabilistic approach of random discrete element analysis (RDEA) to investigate the mechanism of rock fragmentation under uniaxial compression. This model combines the advantages of both random field theory and discrete element method in characterizing the spatial variation and uncertainty of microscopic material properties. The numerical results reveal that the stress-strain curves of a group of tests can match well the general trend of the experimental data, with the mean uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of 10.18 MPa and the mean Young modulus of 1.73 GPa. The coefficient of variation (COV) for the rock samples is much lower than that of the initial random fields of particles because of the averaging effect of microscopic material property in obtaining the bulk values. The rock fragmentation is initiated by the breakage of weak particles within the rock mass, and it develops rapidly as the vertical loading stress approaches the UCS. The final damage zone resides dominantly in the weak region of the rock sample, and the distribution of material property coefficients follows a similar beta distribution as the corresponding initial random field. Rock samples with persistent “pillar-like” structures of strong particles can effectively resist the normal compression, resulting in high rock strengths. The traditional DEM simulation with a set of constant material properties can only represent one extreme realization of random field, which could significantly overestimate the rock strength. The proposed RDEA approach can effectively capture the uncertainty and complex interactions of rock fragmentation in a more realistic and reliable way.