Application of Cracked Triangular Specimen Subjected to Three-Point Bending for Investigating Fracture Behavior of Rock Materials

Numerical and experimental studies were performed on a new fracture test configuration called the edge cracked triangular (ECT) specimen. Using several finite-element analyses, the fracture parameters (i.e., K _I, K _II, and T-stress) were obtained for different combinations of modes I and II. The finite-element results show that the ECT specimen is able to provide pure mode I, pure mode II, and any mixed-mode loading conditions in between. Also, a series of mixed-mode fracture experiments were conducted on Neiriz marble rock using the proposed specimen. Furthermore, the generalized maximum tangential stress (GMTS) criterion was used to predict the experimental results. The GMTS criterion makes use of a three-parameter model (based on K _I, K _II, and T) for describing the crack tip stresses. Due to the significant positive T-stresses that exist in the ECT specimen, typical minimum fracture toughness values were expected to be obtained when the ECT specimen is used. The direction of fracture initiation and the path of fracture growth were also obtained theoretically using the GMTS criterion, and good agreement was observed between the experimental fracture path and theoretical simulations. The fracture study of this specimen reveals that the ECT specimen can be also used in mixed-mode fracture studies of rock materials in addition to the conventional circular or rectangular beam test samples.     

Numerical Simulation Study on Crack Evolution Characteristics of Coal Specimen Subjected to Conventional Compression Loading

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - The paper represents a simulation investigation about the crack evolution and acoustic emission characteristics of coal specimen subjected to conventional...     

Three-Dimensional Numerical Investigations of the Failure Mechanism of a Rock Disc with a Central or Eccentric Hole

The diametrical compression of a circular disc (Brazilian test) or cylinder with a small eccentric hole is a simple but important test to determine the tensile strength of rocks. This paper studies the failure mechanism of circular disc with an eccentric hole by a 3D numerical model (RFPA3D). A feature of the code RFPA3D is that it can numerically simulate the evolution of cracks in three-dimensional space, as well as the heterogeneity of the rock mass. First, numerically simulated Brazilian tests are compared with experimental results. Special attention is given to the effect of the thickness to radius ratio on the failure modes and the peak stress of specimens. The effects of the compressive strength to tensile strength ratio (C/T), the loading arc angle (2α), and the homogeneity index (m) are also studied in the numerical simulations. Secondly, the failure process of a rock disc with a central hole is studied. The effects of the ratio of the internal hole radius (r) to the radius of the rock disc (R) on the failure mode and the peak stress are investigated. Thirdly, the influence of the vertical and horizontal eccentricity of an internal hole on the initiation and propagation of cracks inside a specimen are simulated. The effect of the radius of the eccentric hole and the homogeneity index (m) are also investigated.     

A Numerical Investigation of Fracture Infilling and Spacing in Layered Rocks Subjected to Hydro-Mechanical Loading

In order to better understand opening-mode fracture initiation and propagation perpendicular to the bedding plane at depth in sedimentary rocks, a series of two-dimensional (2D) numerical simulations is conducted. First, the stress states between two adjacent fractures for a typical three-layer model with pre-assigned fractures are simulated. Second, the same three-layer model without pre-assigned fractures is adopted to study the initiation and propagation of fractures in layered rocks. Numerical results show that infilling fractures grow more easily from flaws located near the interface than from those in the middle of the fractured layer. Flaws can begin to propagate to form a complete infilling fracture when the size of the flaws exceeds half of the thickness of the central layer. Under different overburden stress conditions and internal fluid pressure, the numerically obtained ratio of the critical fracture spacing to layer thickness varies between 0.465 and 0.833. This range encompasses the often-cited ratios of spacing to layer thickness in the literature for well-developed fracture sets. In addition, both the fracture pattern and the critical value of the fracture spacing to layer thickness ratio are strongly dependent on the heterogeneous characteristics of the central layer. In cases with a relatively homogeneous central layer, more interface fractures occur, and the interface delamination evidently influences the fracture saturation.     

Effects of Frequency on the Dynamic Properties of Intact Rock Samples Subjected to Cyclic Loading under Confining Pressure Conditions

A series of laboratory tests was performed to assess the effects of frequency on the dynamic properties of sandstone samples subjected to cyclic loading in the confining stress state. Three levels of confining pressure (2.0, 10.0, and 40.0 MPa) and three sets of frequencies (0.1, 1.0, and 3.0 Hz) were applied for the axial cyclic loading tests by the MTS-815 Rock and Concrete Test System. The results from the cyclic loading tests indicate that frequency has a strong influence on the dynamic deformation, the dynamic stiffness, and the failure mode at the same confining pressure. With an increase in the frequency, the axial strain and the number of cycles at failure increased at the same confining pressure, the residual volumetric strain increased when dilatancy occurred at the same confining pressure, and the number of cycles at failure increased. A new damage variable D was defined that describes the degradation process of sandstone samples upon dynamic cyclic loading. The larger the frequency, the wider the localized band. Sandstone samples subjected to dynamic cyclic loading responded with a significantly higher initial stiffness. The higher the initial stiffness, the greater the frequency.     

Observation of the Degradation Characteristics and Scale of Unevenness on Three-dimensional Artificial Rock Joint Surfaces Subjected to Shear

The present study explores the degradation characteristics and scale of unevenness (small-scale roughness) on sheared rock joint surfaces at a low-stress regime. While the degradation characteristics of unevenness and the normal stress are mutually interrelated, an understanding of the degradation patterns of the three-dimensional roughness of rock joints is one of the important components needed to identify asperity failure characteristics and to quantify the role of damaged unevenness in establishing a shear strength model. A series of direct shear tests was performed on three-dimensional artificial rock joint surfaces at different normal stress levels. After shearing, the spatial distributions and statistical parameters of degraded roughness were analysed for the different normal stress levels. The length and area of the degraded zones showed bell-shaped distributions in a logarithmic scale, and the dominant scale (or the most frequently occurring scale) of the damaged asperities (i.e., unevenness) ranged from approximately, 0.5 to 5.0 mm in length and 0.1–10 mm² in area. This scale of the damaged unevenness was consistent regardless of the level of normal stress. It was also found that the relative area of damaged unevenness on a given joint area, and thus the contribution of the mechanical asperity failure component to shear strength increased as normal stress increased.