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Numerical and Experimental Assessment of the Sandstone Fracture Mechanism by Non-uniform Bonded Particle Modeling

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Abstract

The cracked chevron notched Brazilian disc method (CCNBD) recommended by the International Society for Rock Mechanics is a major method for measuring the rock fracture toughness. In the rock fracture mechanics, the micro-crack evolution behavior during Mode I fracture is of great theoretical significance. To fully understand the micro-crack evolution mechanism and fracture process zone evolution information of non-uniform sandstone, numerical simulation of CCNBD specimen under Mode I fracture condition was carried out using PFC3D. Combined with the box fractal dimension theory, the sandstone particle size and mineral composition were considered, and the non-uniform bonded particle model was built. By monitoring the evolution of micro-cracks in the interior and boundary of the cluster, the micro-crack evolution process of the numerical model was obtained. The results showed that the micro-fracture of CCNBD specimen during the cracking process was dominated by weak cementation plane and the contact of interstitial filling particles, while the micro-crack generated between detritus particles mainly concentrated in the CCNBD specimen with the peak stress range of 80–100% and the post-peak failure stage. Combined with the stress field analysis, the Mode I fracture experiment of the bonding between diagenetic mineral particles at the crack tip of CCNBD specimen was dominated by tension, while the bonding between interstitial filling particles is dominated by compression. The micro-crack evolution mechanism of the CCNBD specimen during Mode I fracture was obtained by experiments and numerical simulations. This study is expected to improve the understanding of the unstable fracture mechanism of the fractured rock mass.

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Abbreviations

a :

Crack length

a 0 :

Initial length of the crack

a 1 :

Surface crack length

AE:

Acoustic emission

a h :

Thickness of the dimensionless specimen

AIC:

Akaike Information Criterion

b :

Thickness of specimen

BD:

Brazilian disc

BPM:

Bond particle model

CB:

Chevron bend

CCNBD:

Cracked chevron notched Brazilian disc

CCNSCB:

Cracked chevron notched semi-circular bend

CSTBD:

Cracked straight through Brazilian disc

D :

Damage amount

DEM:

Discrete element method

D I-S1 :

The amount of damage in S1 non-fractured region during Mode I fracture

D I-S2 :

The amount of damage in the S2 non-fractured region during Mode I fracture

FBD:

Flatted Brazilian disc

FDM:

Finite difference method

FEM:

Finite element method

FPZ:

Fracture process zone

ISRM:

International Society for Rock Mechanics

K IC :

Mode I fracture toughness

LEFM:

Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics

MCVD-SIF:

Minimum critical value of dimensionless stress intensity factor

MR:

Modified ring

NBPM:

Non-uniform bonded particle model

PFC:

Particle flow code

R :

Radius of specimen

RCR:

Radial cracked ring

R s :

Radius of the rotating saw blade

SEM:

Scanning electron microscope

SHPB:

Split Hopkinson pressure bar

SIF:

Stress intensity factor

SR:

Short rod

V op :

P-wave velocities of the two areas dried before the experiment

V p :

P-wave velocities of the two areas dried after the experiment

XFEM:

Extended finite element method

XRD:

X-ray diffraction

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51664018), and outstanding doctoral dissertation cultivation program of Jiangxi University of Science and Technology (No. 3105500025).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou, 341000, Jiangxi, China

    Kui Zhao, Wenkai Wu, Peng Zeng, Daoxue Yang, Yongguang Liu, Li Wang & Shanhu Ran

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  1. Kui Zhao
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  2. Wenkai Wu
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  3. Peng Zeng
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Correspondence to Daoxue Yang.

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Zhao, K., Wu, W., Zeng, P. et al. Numerical and Experimental Assessment of the Sandstone Fracture Mechanism by Non-uniform Bonded Particle Modeling. Rock Mech Rock Eng 54, 6023–6037 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-021-02620-x

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