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Effect of Model Scale and Particle Size Distribution on PFC3D Simulation Results

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Abstract

This paper investigates the effect of model scale and particle size distribution on the simulated macroscopic mechanical properties, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio, using the three-dimensional particle flow code (PFC3D). Four different maximum to minimum particle size (d max/d min) ratios, all having a continuous uniform size distribution, were considered and seven model (specimen) diameter to median particle size ratios (L/d) were studied for each d max/d min ratio. The results indicate that the coefficients of variation (COVs) of the simulated macroscopic mechanical properties using PFC3D decrease significantly as L/d increases. The results also indicate that the simulated mechanical properties using PFC3D show much lower COVs than those in PFC2D at all model scales. The average simulated UCS and Young’s modulus using the default PFC3D procedure keep increasing with larger L/d, although the rate of increase decreases with larger L/d. This is mainly caused by the decrease of model porosity with larger L/d associated with the default PFC3D method and the better balanced contact force chains at larger L/d. After the effect of model porosity is eliminated, the results on the net model scale effect indicate that the average simulated UCS still increases with larger L/d but the rate is much smaller, the average simulated Young’s modulus decreases with larger L/d instead, and the average simulated Poisson’s ratio versus L/d relationship remains about the same. Particle size distribution also affects the simulated macroscopic mechanical properties, larger d max/d min leading to greater average simulated UCS and Young’s modulus and smaller average simulated Poisson’s ratio, and the changing rates become smaller at larger d max/d min. This study shows that it is important to properly consider the effect of model scale and particle size distribution in PFC3D simulations.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the Donors of the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund for support of this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Xiaobin Ding, Lianyang Zhang & Qi Zhang

  2. Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China

    Hehua Zhu & Qi Zhang

  3. Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground Engineering, Tongji University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China

    Hehua Zhu & Qi Zhang

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  1. Xiaobin Ding
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  2. Lianyang Zhang
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  4. Qi Zhang
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Correspondence to Lianyang Zhang.

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Ding, X., Zhang, L., Zhu, H. et al. Effect of Model Scale and Particle Size Distribution on PFC3D Simulation Results. Rock Mech Rock Eng 47, 2139–2156 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-013-0533-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-013-0533-1

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