Phase Field Modeling of Anisotropic Tension Failure of Rock-Like Materials

The tensile fracture is a widespread feature in rock excavation engineering, such as spalling around an opened tunnel. The phase field method (PFD) is a non-local theory to effectively simulate the quasi-brittle fracture of materials, especially for the propagation of a tensile crack. This work is dedicated to study the tensile failure characteristics of rock-like materials by the PFD simulation of the Brazilian test of the intact and fissure disk samples. The numerical results indicate that the tensile strength of the disk sample is anisotropic due to the influence of pre-existing cracks. The peak load decreases at first and then increases with the increase of the inclination angle, following the U-shaped trend. The simulation results also indicate that the wing crack growth is the main failure characteristic. Moreover, the crack propagation path initiates at the tip of the pre-existing crack when the inclination angle is less than 60°. Crack propagation initiates near the tip of the pre-existing crack when the angle is 75°, and it initiates at the middle of the pre-existing crack when the angle is 90°. Finally, all cracks extend to the loading position and approximately parallel to the loading direction. This process is in agreement with the Brazilian test of pre-existing cracks in the laboratory, which can validate the effectiveness of the PFD in simulating the tensile fracture of rock-like materials. This study can provide a reference for the fracture mechanism of the surrounding rock in the underground excavation.

Domain discretizations for numerical solution of fracture problems

В работе для численного моделирования хрупкого разрушения с целью повышения эффективности громоздких расчетов предлагается использовать двухуровневую процедуру построения сетки дискретизации. На верхнем уровне генерируется сетка фрагментов - локусов задаваемых размеров и произвольной случайной формы, по границам которых может происходить разрушение. На нижнем уровне каждый локус разбивается на сетку конечных элементов. Разрыв связей между конечными элементами по траектории разрушение между локусами реализуется с помощью процедуры сцепляющей среды. Для построения сетки дискретизации верхнего уровня использована диаграмма Воронова. Разработан алгоритм процедуры создания локусов на телах произвольной формы в двумерной и трехмерной постановках. Процедура реализована на языке APDL, для использования в программном комплексе ANSYS. Алгоритм протестирован при различных значениях задаваемых параметров и на объектах разнообразной формы. Численное решение задачи о разрушении цилиндрического образца из хрупкого материала по бразильскому тесту определения прочностных характеристик материала на растяжение продемонстрировало хорошее согласование полученной картины разрушения с реальной. In this paper, for numerical modeling of brittle fracture in order to increase the efficiency of complex calculations, it is proposed to use a two-level procedure for generating a discretization network. At the upper level, a network of fragments – locus’s, of specified sizes and arbitrary random shape, is generated. At the lower level, each locus is meshed by FE. The breaking of connections between finite elements along the trajectory of destruction between locus is realized using the cohesive zone procedure. The properties of the Voronov diagram are used to generate the upper-level discretization network. The algorithm of the procedure for creating locus on bodies of arbitrary shape in two-dimensional and three-dimensional formulations is developed. The procedure is implemented in the APDL, for use in the ANSYS. The algorithm is tested at various values of the specified parameters and on objects of various shapes. The numerical solution of the problem of the destruction of a cylindrical sample made of brittle material according to the Brazilian test for determining the tensile strength characteristics of the material demonstrated a good agreement of the obtained fracture pattern with the real one.

Using Continuum-Discontinuum Element Method to Model the Foliation-Affected Fracturing in Rock Brazilian Test

In this study, the continuum-discontinuum element method (CDEM) was used to investigate the tensile fracture mechanism of rock materials. An isotropic rock disk model and models considering different foliation inclinations were established, and three schemes were used to simulate the rock fracturing in Brazilian test. Then, the influences of the rock matrix and foliation strengths on anisotropy rock fracturing were investigated. Furtherly, simulation results were verified, and the rock fracture mechanisms were discussed. The results show that the rock fracturing in Brazilian test can be accurately simulated by CDEM, which is in accordance with the experimental results. For isotropic and horizontal foliation rock, the stress concentration in loading positions causes a local fracture of rock sample, and application of a local strengthening scheme can simulate the integral tension fracture of sample middle. As the foliation angle varies from 15° to 45°, the rock fracturing is affected by the stress concentration and foliation distribution. In splitting simulation, a strengthening scheme should be adopted to overcome this influence. As a result, the rock sample generates the sliding and compression-shear fracture. As the foliation angle changes from 45° to 75°, the foliation, rather than the matrix, dominates the fracture behavior of rock sample. For vertical foliations’ rock, as the middle foliation thickness is appropriately broadened, the simulation results are reasonable. In general, the tensile strength of anisotropic rock entirely decreases with an increase of foliation angle, and the effect of foliation strength on the tensile strength rock sample is larger than that of the rock matrix.

Numerical Simulation of the Effect of Loading Angle on Initial Cracks Position Point: Application to the Brazilian Test

The Brazilian Test is the most used test to determine the indirect tensile strength for brittle materials like concrete. It has been observed that the success of the test depends on the cracks initiation point position and therefore the arch loading angle; a crack appears in the center of the disk when the test is valid. To this effect, using Fast Lagrangian of Continua code FLAC2D; numerical analyses were performed to study the impact of the arch loading angle on the initial crack’s position in a 70 mm diameter Brazilian disk of concrete and mortar under loading arch 2α which varies from 5–45°. The distribution of stresses and the tensile strength at the center of the Brazilian disk obtained numerically was closely similar to analytical and experimental existing solutions. The results showed that to obtain a meaningful and validated test with the most accurate indirect tensile strength, it is recommended to take a loading arch 2α ≥ 20° for the concrete and 2α ≥ 10° for the mortar.