Damage smear method for rock failure process analysis

• Published in: Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering Vol. 11; no. 6; pp. 1151 - 1165
• Main Authors: G. Li, X.F. Cheng, H. Pu, C.A. Tang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 01-12-2019
• ISSN: 1674-7755
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jrmge.2019.06.007

Damage smear method (DSM) is adopted to study trans-scale progressive rock failure process, based on statistical meso-damage model and finite element solver. The statistical approach is utilized to reflect the mesoscopic rock heterogeneity. The constitutive law of representative volume element (RVE) is established according to continuum damage mechanics in which double-damage criterion is considered. The damage evolution and accumulation of RVEs are used to reveal the macroscopic rock failure characteristics. Each single RVE will be represented by one unique element. The initiation, propagation and coalescence of meso-to macro-cracks are captured by smearing failed elements. The above ideas are formulated into the framework of the DSM and programed into self-developed rock failure process analysis (RFPA) software. Two laboratory-scale examples are conducted and the well-known engineering-scale tests, i.e. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's (AECL's) Underground Research Laboratory (URL) tests, are used for verification. It shows that the simulation results match with other experimental results and field observations. Keywords: Failure process, Smear method, Meso-damage, Finite element method (FEM), Rock failure process analysis (RFPA)