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Laboratory test and numerical simulations for 3D printed irregular columnar jointed rock masses under biaxial compression

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Abstract

The columnar jointed rock mass (CJRM) has irregular structures, which significantly influence its mechanical properties and failure characteristics. Previously, it is difficult to produce CJRM specimens with the same structure for multiple repeated tests. Thus, in this study, the 3D printed (3DP) block models of CJRM with different inclination angles were reconstructed. In addition, the digital image processing (DIP) was applied to conduct 3D analysis of the failure processes. By carrying out laboratory tests and numerical calculations, the failure modes and mechanical properties of irregular CJRM under different biaxial compression conditions were determined. In laboratory tests, when the biaxial pressure was 0.5 MPa and the inclination angles were different, the 3DP block models of CJRM underwent tensile failure, tensile-shear failure, shear-slip failure, and disintegration failure along the axial joint surface, respectively. Meanwhile, according to the numerical simulations, the failure modes of the numerical model at biaxial pressures of 2 MPa and 5 MPa were similar to those of 0.5 MPa in general. Under different inclination angles, the mechanical parameters of the CJRMs were closely correlated with the biaxial pressure. The peak strength increased as the biaxial pressure increased, and the relationship curve between the peak strain and biaxial pressure was approximately U-shaped. In addition, the anisotropy coefficients (ACs) of the mechanical parameters constantly decreased and approached stability as the biaxial pressure increased. The numerical models and 3DP block models were consistent in terms of the failure modes, acoustic emission (AE), and mechanical properties.

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All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the submitted article.

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Funding

The study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 42077251, 41807269, U1865203). The work presented in this paper was also supported by Open Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. Z020011).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China

    Danchen Zhao, Yingjie Xia & Chun’an Tang

  2. School of Civil Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China

    Danchen Zhao, Yingjie Xia & Chun’an Tang

  3. State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China

    Yingjie Xia, Chuanqing Zhang & Hui Zhou

  4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Chuanqing Zhang & Hui Zhou

  5. Power China Huadong Engineering Corporation, Hangzhou, 310014, China

    Ning Liu, Jun Chen & Peng Wang

  6. Liaoyang Petrochemical Fiber Company, Liaoyang, 111003, China

    Chenglong Wang

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  1. Danchen Zhao
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  2. Yingjie Xia
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  3. Chuanqing Zhang
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  4. Hui Zhou
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  5. Chun’an Tang
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  6. Ning Liu
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  7. Jun Chen
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  8. Peng Wang
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  9. Chenglong Wang
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Correspondence to Yingjie Xia.

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Zhao, D., Xia, Y., Zhang, C. et al. Laboratory test and numerical simulations for 3D printed irregular columnar jointed rock masses under biaxial compression. Bull Eng Geol Environ 81, 124 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-02626-x

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