A new approach to numerical method of modelling geological processes and rock engineering problems — continuum to discontinuum and linearity to nonlinearity

Numerical modelling as an efficient method is widely employed in various fields of science and engineering. In rock mechanics and geomechanics, considerable progress has been made in numerical simulation on nonlinear and discontinuum problems. However, there is a tendency in this field that the theoretical framework for nonlinear and discontinuum problems becomes more and more complicated and sometimes becomes less practicable. This paper gives a brief introduction to a newly developed numerical code, RFPA^2D (rock failure process analysis), which is mathematically a linear and continuum mechanics method for numerically processing nonlinear and discontinuum mechanics problems in rock failure. Although it is simple comparing with other numerical methods for nonlinear and discontinuum problems. It allows one to model the observed evolution of the progressive failure leading to collapse in brittle rocks. An important conclusion from the simulation results is that the microscale heterogeneity is the source of macroscale nonlinearity. Examples showing the potential applications are given in this paper. It can be seen that the RFPA^2D has a unique ability to reveal the evolutionary nature of the fracture phenomenon from microfracture scale to global failure, and the great potential exists in modelling mining induced rockbursts and stability of underground openings in greath depth. The capabilities to handle dilation, self-induced faults or even block movement and rotation should also attract applications in the fields of geomechanics as well as rock mechanics.