Crack propagation in jointed rock and its effect on rock macrofracture resistance: insights from discrete element analysis

In cold regions, ice pressure poses a serious threat to the safe operation of ship hulls and fixed offshore platforms. In this study, a discrete element method (DEM) with bonded particles was adapted to simulate the generation and distribution of local ice pressures during the interaction between level ice and vertical structures. The strength and failure mode of simulated sea ice under uniaxial compression were consistent with the experimental results, which verifies the accuracy of the discrete element parameters. The crushing process of sea ice acting on the vertical structure simulated by the DEM was compared with the field test. The distribution of ice pressure on the contact surface was calculated, and it was found that the local ice pressure was much greater than the global ice pressure. The high-pressure zones in sea ice are mainly caused by its simultaneous destruction, and these zones are primarily distributed near the midline of the contact area of sea ice and the structure. The contact area and loading rate are the two main factors affecting the high-pressure zones. The maximum local and global ice pressures decrease with an increase in the contact area. The influence of the loading rate on the local ice pressure is caused by the change in the sea ice failure mode. When the loading rate is low, ductile failure of sea ice occurs, and the ice pressure increases with the increase in the loading rate. When the loading rate is high, brittle failure of sea ice occurs, and the ice pressure decreases with an increase in the loading rate. This DEM study of sea ice can reasonably predict the distribution of high-pressure zones on marine structures and provide a reference for the anti-ice performance design of marine structures.

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An Energy-Based Discrete Element Modeling Method Coupled with Time-Series Analysis for Investigating Deformations and Failures of Jointed Rock Slopes

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11125447 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 5447

Author(s):

Xiaona Zhang ◽

Gang Mei ◽

Ning Xi ◽

Ziyang Liu ◽

Ruoshen Lin

Keyword(s):

Time Series ◽

Iterative Process ◽

Discrete Element ◽

Jointed Rock ◽

Modeling Method ◽

Discrete Element Modeling ◽

Rock Slopes ◽

Sliding Surface ◽

Element Modeling ◽

Displacement Based

The discrete element method (DEM) can be effectively used in investigations of the deformations and failures of jointed rock slopes. However, when to appropriately terminate the DEM iterative process is not clear. Recently, a displacement-based discrete element modeling method for jointed rock slopes was proposed to determine when the DEM iterative process is terminated, and it considers displacements that come from rock blocks located near the potential sliding surface that needs to be determined before the DEM modeling. In this paper, an energy-based discrete element modeling method combined with time-series analysis is proposed to investigate the deformations and failures of jointed rock slopes. The proposed method defines an energy-based criterion to determine when to terminate the DEM iterative process in analyzing the deformations and failures of jointed rock slopes. The novelty of the proposed energy-based method is that, it is more applicable than the displacement-based method because it does not need to determine the position of the potential sliding surface before DEM modeling. The proposed energy-based method is a generalized form of the displacement-based discrete element modeling method, and the proposed method considers not only the displacement of each block but also the weight of each block. Moreover, the computational cost of the proposed method is approximately the same as that of the displacement-based discrete element modeling method. To validate that the proposed energy-based method is effective, the proposed method is used to analyze a simple jointed rock slope; the result is compared to that achieved by using the displacement-based method, and the comparative results are basically consistent. The proposed energy-based method can be commonly used to analyze the deformations and failures of general rock slopes where it is difficult to determine the obvious potential sliding surface.

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Discrete element analysis of the punching behaviour of a secured drapery system: from laboratory characterization to idealized in situ conditions

Acta Geotechnica ◽

10.1007/s11440-020-01119-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Antonio Pol ◽

Fabio Gabrieli ◽

Lorenzo Brezzi

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Response ◽

Steel Wire ◽

Discrete Element ◽

Wire Mesh ◽

Steel Plates ◽

Loading Conditions ◽

Element Analysis ◽

In Situ Conditions ◽

Wire Meshes

AbstractIn this work, the mechanical response of a steel wire mesh panel against a punching load is studied starting from laboratory test conditions and extending the results to field applications. Wire meshes anchored with bolts and steel plates are extensively used in rockfall protection and slope stabilization. Their performances are evaluated through laboratory tests, but the mechanical constraints, the geometry and the loading conditions may strongly differ from the in situ conditions leading to incorrect estimations of the strength of the mesh. In this work, the discrete element method is used to simulate a wire mesh. After validation of the numerical mesh model against experimental data, the punching behaviour of an anchored mesh panel is investigated in order to obtain a more realistic characterization of the mesh mechanical response in field conditions. The dimension of the punching element, its position, the anchor plate size and the anchor spacing are varied, providing analytical relationships able to predict the panel response in different loading conditions. Furthermore, the mesh panel aspect ratio is analysed showing the existence of an optimal value. The results of this study can provide useful information to practitioners for designing secured drapery systems, as well as for the assessment of their safety conditions.

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