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Discrete element modeling on the crack evolution behavior of brittle sandstone containing three fissures under uniaxial compression

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Abstract

Based on experimental results of brittle, intact sandstone under uniaxial compression, the micro-parameters were firstly confirmed by adopting particle flow code \((\hbox {PFC}^{\mathrm{2D}})\). Then, the validation of the simulated models were cross checked with the experimental results of brittle sandstone containing three parallel fissures under uniaxial compression. The simulated results agreed very well with the experimental results, including the peak strength, peak axial strain, and ultimate failure mode. Using the same micro-parameters, the numerical models containing a new geometry of three fissures are constructed to investigate the fissure angle on the fracture mechanical behavior of brittle sandstone under uniaxial compression. The strength and deformation parameters of brittle sandstone containing new three fissures are dependent to the fissure angle. With the increase of the fissure angle, the elastic modulus, the crack damage threshold, and the peak strength of brittle sandstone containing three fissures firstly increase and secondly decrease. But the peak axial strain is nonlinearly related to the fissure angle. In the entire process of deformation, the crack initiation and propagation behavior of brittle sandstone containing three fissures under uniaxial compression are investigated with respect to the fissure angle. Six different crack coalescence modes are identified for brittle sandstone containing three fissures under uniaxial compression. The influence of the fissure angle on the length of crack propagation and crack coalescence stress is evaluated. These investigated conclusions are very important for ensuring the stability and safety of rock engineering with intermittent structures.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (China University of Mining and Technology) (Grant 2014YC10), the National Basic Research 973 Program of China (Grant 2014CB046905), for which the authors are very grateful. The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments, which have greatly improved this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, China

    Sheng-Qi Yang & Yan-Hua Huang

  2. Deep Earth Energy Research Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia

    Sheng-Qi Yang, P. G. Ranjith & Jian Ji

  3. Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China

    Yu-Yong Jiao

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  1. Sheng-Qi Yang
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  2. Yan-Hua Huang
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  3. P. G. Ranjith
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  4. Yu-Yong Jiao
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  5. Jian Ji
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Correspondence to Sheng-Qi Yang.

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Yang, SQ., Huang, YH., Ranjith, P.G. et al. Discrete element modeling on the crack evolution behavior of brittle sandstone containing three fissures under uniaxial compression. Acta Mech. Sin. 31, 871–889 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10409-015-0444-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10409-015-0444-3

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