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Factors Affecting Crack Initiation in Low Porosity Crystalline Rocks

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Abstract

Crack initiation in uniaxial compressive loading of rocks occurs well before the peak strength is reached. The factors that may influence the onset of cracking and possible initiating mechanisms were explored using a discrete element numerical approach. The numerical approach was based on grain-based model that utilized the Voronoi tessellation scheme to represent low porosity crystalline rocks such as granite. The effect of grain size distribution (sorting coefficient ranging from 1.5 to 1.03), grain size (average grain size ranging from 0.75 to 2.25 mm), and the heterogeneities of different mineral grains (quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase) on the onset of cracking were examined. The modelling revealed that crack initiation appears to be a tensile mechanism in low porosity rocks, and that shear cracking along grain boundaries is only a prominent mechanism near the peak strength. It was also shown that the heterogeneity introduced by the grain size distribution had the most significant effect on peak strength and crack initiation stress. The peak strength ranges from 140 to 208 MPa as the grain size distribution varies from heterogeneous to uniform, respectively. However, the ratio of crack initiation to peak stress showed only minor variation, as the heterogeneity decreases. The other factors investigated had only minor effects on crack initiation and peak strength, and crack initiation ratio.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the financial contribution of Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company through the DECOVALEX Project and the Synthetic Rock Project. The authors would like to thank Dr. Erik Eberhardt (University of British Columbia) for providing the stress–strain data of Lac du Bonnet granite and Yun Lu (University of Alberta) for his helps on creating some of the models.

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  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2W2, Canada

    Mohsen Nicksiar & C. D. Martin

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  1. Mohsen Nicksiar
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  2. C. D. Martin
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Correspondence to Mohsen Nicksiar.

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Nicksiar, M., Martin, C.D. Factors Affecting Crack Initiation in Low Porosity Crystalline Rocks. Rock Mech Rock Eng 47, 1165–1181 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-013-0451-2

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