An Empirical Failure Criterion for Intact Rocks

The parameter m _i is an important rock property parameter required for use of the Hoek–Brown failure criterion. The conventional method for determining m _i is to fit a series of triaxial compression test data. In the absence of laboratory test data, guideline charts have been provided by Hoek to estimate the m _i value. In the conventional Hoek–Brown failure criterion, the m _i value is a constant for a given rock. It is observed that using a constant m _i may not fit the triaxial compression test data well for some rocks. In this paper, a negative exponent empirical model is proposed to express m _i as a function of confinement, and this exercise leads us to a new empirical failure criterion for intact rocks. Triaxial compression test data of various rocks are used to fit parameters of this model. It is seen that the new empirical failure criterion fits the test data better than the conventional Hoek–Brown failure criterion for intact rocks. The conventional Hoek–Brown criterion fits the test data well in the high-confinement region but fails to match data well in the low-confinement and tension regions. In particular, it overestimates the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and the uniaxial tensile strength of rocks. On the other hand, curves fitted by the proposed empirical failure criterion match test data very well, and the estimated UCS and tensile strength agree well with test data.     

New Observations on the Brittle Failure Process of Simulated Crystalline Rocks

A biaxial testing program has been performed to study the process of brittle failure in crystalline rocks. Dental plaster has been selected as a model material, and mixing with different ratios of distilled water, different types of common minerals of crystalline rocks have been simulated in the form of brick-like small elements. These elements have been interlocked together according to four systematic patterns and final specimens with 180 × 180 × 76 mm dimensions have been obtained. Details of different types of cracks observed during loading process, effects of mechanical, geometrical and confining pressure on the cracking intensity, the influence of different types of heterogeneity on the macroscopic properties of a system of interlocked elements, and the sequence of events during the failure process are presented in this paper. Based on these observations, a revised mechanism for brittle failure is proposed.     

A Simplified Failure Criterion for Intact Rocks Based on Rock Type and Uniaxial Compressive Strength

The uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of intact rock, which can be estimated using relatively straightforward and cost-effective techniques, is one of the most practical rock properties used in rock engineering. Thus, constitutive laws to represent the strength and behavior of (intact) rock frequently use it, along with additional intrinsic rock properties. Although triaxial tests can be employed to obtain best-fit failure criterion parameters that provide best strength predictions, they are more expensive and require time-consuming procedures; as a consequence, they are often not readily available at early stages of a project. Based on the analysis of an extensive triaxial test database for intact rocks, we propose a simplified empirical failure criterion in which rock strength at failure is expressed in terms of confining stress and UCS, with a new parameter which can be directly estimated from the UCS for a specified rock type in the absence of triaxial test data. Performance of the proposed failure criterion is then tested for validation against experimental data for eight rock types. The results show that strengths of intact rock estimated by the proposed failure criterion are in good agreement with experimental test data, with small discrepancies between estimated and measurements strengths. Therefore, the proposed criterion can be useful for preliminary (triaxial) strength estimation of intact rocks when triaxial tests data are not available.     

A Study on the Peak Strength of Brittle Rocks

Summary A study on the peak strength of brittle rock materials having random strength distributions was carried out using the re-normalization group theory approach. A major advantage of the approach is that it is scale invariant, and therefore, one can relate the micro-fractures with macro-fractures of rocks at the critical state. The stress transfer from the broken sub-sections to the unbroken sub-sections is defined by a conditional probability. The critical probability P ^* and the relation between the peak strength and the mean strength of the elements have been obtained theoretically. On the other hand, the whole process of rock brittle fracture has also been simulated numerically from micro-fracture to macro-fracture by using the Rock Failure Process Analysis (RFPA) code. The peak strengths obtained by the numerical model agree fairly well with those obtained by the re-normalisation group theory. Due to the stress transfer from the broken subsections to the unbroken subsections, the peak strength is considerably less than the mean strength of the elements. Received October 24, 2000; accepted February 26, 2002 Published online September 2, 2002     

A Review of the Influence of Microscopic Characteristics on the Progressively Brittle Failure of Foliated Rocks Subjected to Compression Loading

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - The progressively brittle failure of foliated rocks involving the initiation, propagation, and aggregation modes is closely related to the microscopic...     

Energy Evolution Model and Critical Failure Criterion for the Dynamic Process of Tunnel System Instability

The failure criteria and dynamic evolution process of tunnel system deformation and instability have been one of the popular areas in the research field of underground engineering albeit one of the most difficult. The energy evolution model and critical failure criterion of the dynamic process in tunnel system instability are studied in this paper. Based on in situ measurements and the dissipative structure theory, the energy dissipation and dynamic evolution characteristics of the tunnel system instability has been presented. By using the basic laws of thermodynamics, the energy dissipation mechanism of the whole tunnel system has been explored, and an energy evolution model of the tunnel system instability has been established. On this basis, the degree of stability evolution process has been determined depending on the sample size (more than or <3,000). The energy criterion is proposed in accordance with the unstable and failure features of each evaluation stage of the tunnel system. This study has proved that the energy evolution model and critical failure criterion is reasonable and reliable in studying the stability analysis of an overlapped tunnels in Guangzhou metro, China. It also provides a significant guideline for the calculation and analysis of tunnel stability.     

脆性岩石单轴压缩变形强度的试验

主要讨论在单轴压缩条件下脆性岩石破坏的全过程,分析与破裂机制有关的问题及试验中主要影响因素,使试验结果为工程评价提供准确、可靠的保证。     

Role of Crystal Interlocking on the Strength of Brittle Rocks

Results of an experimental programme on heterogeneous rock-like specimens of dental plaster confirm the pronounced role of tensile microcracks on brittle failure. Microbuckling of very small rock-columns formed amid closely located tensile cracks was observed as the key incident connecting stable phenomenon of tensile cracking to unstable phenomenon of shearing and subsequent macroscopic failure. Using the classical beam and buckling theories and considering geometry of the problem a new failure criterion is proposed. As a novel attempt, this new failure criterion relates the compressive strength of rock to three basic microstructural properties, i.e. degree of crystal interlocking, average Young modulus and average tensile strength of rock forming minerals.     

无粘性土的一种破坏准则

研究表明,在三轴压缩和伸长试验条件下,土的抗剪强度与莫尔-库仑准则是一致的,而对于一般应力状态下,土体破坏时的应力状态与莫尔-库仑准则有一定的出入。结合以往的真三轴试验结果,建议了一个复杂应力状态下的等效内摩擦角,在此基础上提出了一个考虑中主应力影响的无粘性土（c＝0）的破坏准则。通过和真三轴试验结果比较,发现该准则在π平面内比莫尔-库仑准则更接近于试验结果。该准则有望推广应用到粘性土中。     

Estimation of Active Earth Pressure for Limited Width of Soil Using Nonlinear Failure Criterion

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - When constructing a retaining wall adjacent to existing basements, the width of the soil mass can be limited. The traditional theories are not suitable for...     

脆性岩石变形机制与渗透率关系研究

为研究脆性岩石变形机制与渗透率- 应变的关系,根据脆性岩石应力- 应变和渗透率- 应变关系曲线分析指出：脆性 岩石经压密、弹性变形和非稳定破裂后,内部微裂隙出现丛集式发展,且不断合并、贯通,导致微观结构发生明显变化, 使渗透率在临界破坏点处急剧增大;当岩石宏观破坏后,内部结构面上的岩桥或凸起体部分被剪断或磨平,使得岩石强度 随变形突然下降,此时渗透率到达峰值。结合重整化群理论分析表明,脆性岩石在应力- 应变曲线拐点处应变和渗透率峰 值点处应变对应、临界破坏点处应变和渗透率急剧增大点处应变对应。通过试验研究和实例统计分析,验证了结论的合理性。