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Distinct element modelling of mining-induced instability of a heterogeneous fault

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Abstract

Deep underground mining/excavation in rock masses can induce unstable slip of a fault, triggering a common catastrophic geological hazard, fault-slip burst. Although several studies investigated the induced dynamic movement of a fault, the role of roughness heterogeneity in controlling fault instability remains poorly understood. Here, we simulated the stable/unstable slip of faults with heterogeneous roughness at both laboratory and field scales using the Universal Distinct Element Code (UDEC) incorporating the continuously yielding joint model. The heterogeneity of fault roughness was realized in UDEC by assigning stochastic-generated contact properties statistically following the classic Weibull function. We found that both the failure pattern and energy partition of the heterogeneous fault undergoing unstable slip were heavily constrained by the mechanical and geometric heterogeneity of the surface asperities. Aseismic faults can be seismic when heterogeneities in shear stiffness and initial friction angle were accounted for, and the higher degree of heterogeneity, the higher the released seismic energy and thus the induced moment magnitude. Therefore, rational assessment of the risk of fault-slip burst in rock-engineering practice should consider the modulation of the fault roughness heterogeneity on the stable-unstable transition of fault slip.

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Data availability

The data supporting the findings of this study are available upon request to the corresponding author.

Abbreviations

F :

Reduction factor in the continuously yielding (CY) joint model

\({k}_{s}\)  :

Joint shear stiffness

m :

Homogeneity index of the randomly-distributed distribution properties

m i :

Homogeneity index of the joint initial friction angle

m k :

Homogeneity index of the contact shear stiffness

M w :

Moment magnitude

\({U}_{i}\)  :

Initial strain energy

\({U}_{k}\)  :

Un-damped kinetic energy at every time-step in the system

\({U}_{m}\)  :

Energy transferred from mine-out material

U r :

Residual strain energy

W :

Work of the external force

\({W}_{d}\)  :

Damping energy

\({W}_{k}\)  :

Released seismic energy

W p :

Plastic work

\({\alpha }_{0}\) :

Mean value of the randomly-distributed properties (\(\alpha\))

\(F\left(\alpha \right)\) :

Distribution function of the Weibull distribution

\(\Phi (\alpha)\)  :

Density function of the Weibull distribution

\(\mu\) :

Distribution function of the Weibull distribution

\({\tau}_m\) :

Target shear strength in the continuously yielding (CY) joint model

\(\Delta \delta\) :

Instantaneous change of shear displacement

\(\Delta \tau\)  :

Instantaneous change of shear stress

ΔW sw :

Instantaneous shear work which is the product of \(\Delta \delta\) and \(\Delta t\)

jen :

Normal stiffness index of contact

jes :

Shear stiffness index of contact

jfric :

Internal friction angle of contact

jif :

Initial friction angle of contact

jkn :

Contact normal stiffness

jks :

Contact shear stiffness

jr :

Surface roughness parameter

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Funding

We thank the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Grant No. 52179097 and 52009016).

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Yingchun Li, Fangxue Zhang & Ziyu Zhuang

  2. State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 201116, China

    Lihua Hu

  3. Deep Underground Engineering Research Center, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China

    Yingchun Li, Fangxue Zhang & Ziyu Zhuang

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  1. Yingchun Li
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Correspondence to Lihua Hu.

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Li, Y., Zhang, F., Hu, L. et al. Distinct element modelling of mining-induced instability of a heterogeneous fault. Bull Eng Geol Environ 82, 69 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-023-03085-8

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