Microcrack interaction brittle rock subjected to uniaxial tensile loads

A micromechanics-based model is proposed to describe unstable damage evolution in microcrack-weakened brittle rock material. The influence of all microcracks with different sizes and orientations are introduced into the constitutive relation by using the statistical average method. Effects of microcrack interaction on the complete stress–strain relation as well as the localization of damage for microcrack-weakened brittle rock material are analyzed by using effective medium method. Each microcrack is assumed to be embedded in an approximate effective medium that is weakened by uniformly distributed microcracks of the statistically-averaged length depending on the actual damage state. The elastic moduli of the approximate effective medium can be determined by using the dilute distribution method. Micromechanical kinetic equations for stable and unstable growth characterizing the ‘process domains’ of active microcracks are taken into account. These ‘process domains’ together with ‘open microcrack domains’ completely determine the integration domains of ensemble averaged constitutive equations relating macro-strain and macro-stress. Theoretical predictions have shown to be consistent with the experimental results.     

ANALYSIS OF THE LOCALIZATION OF DAMAGE AND THE COMPLETE STRESS-STRAIN RELATION FOR MESOSCOPIC HETEROGENEOUS ROCK UNDER UNIAXIAL TENSILE LOADING

The mechanical behavior of rock under uniaxial tensile loading is different from that of rock under compressive loads. A micromechanics-based model was proposed for mesoscopic heterogeneous brittle rock undergoing irreversible changes of their microscopic structures due to microcrack growth. The complete stress-strain relation including linear elasticity, nonlinear hardening, rapid stress drop and strain softening was obtained. The influence of all microcracks with different sizes and orientations were introduced into the constitutive relation by using the probability density function describing the distribution of orientations and the probability density function describing the distribution of sizes. The influence of Weibull distribution describing the distribution of orientations and Rayleigh function describing the distribution of sizes on the constitutive relation were researched. Theoretical predictions have shown to be consistent with the experimental results.     

Quasi-micromechanical constitutive theory for brittle damaged materials under tension

One of fundamental but difficult problems in damage mechanics is the formulation of the effective constitutive relation of microcrack-weakened brittle or quasi-brittle materials under complex loading, especially when microcrack interaction is taken into account. The combination of phenomenological and micromechanical damage mechanics is a promising approach to constructing an applicable damage model with a firm physical foundation. In this paper, a quasi-micromechanical model is presented for simulating the constitutive response of microcrack-weakened materials under complex loading. The microcracking damage is characterized in terms of the orientation domain of microcrack growth (DMG) as well as a scalar microcrack density parameter. The DMG describes the complex damage and its evolution associated with microcrack growth, while the scalar microcrack density factor defining the isotropic magnitude of damage yields an easy calculation of the effects of microcrack interaction on effective elastic moduli. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (19891180).     

计算微裂纹损伤材料有效模量的一种简单方法

给出了一种基于Taylor模型的有效介质方法。用以计算微裂纹相互作用对有效本构关系的影响,该方法假设每一个微裂纹位于一种有效介质之中,该有效介质的弹性模量由不考虑微裂纹相互作用的Taylor模型计算、和自洽方法相比,这种方法计算简单,而且结果更准确。     

Dynamic damage constitutive relation of mesoscopic heterogenous brittle rock under rotation of principal stress axes

A micro-mechanics-based model is developed to investigate microcrack damage mechanism of four stages of brittle rock under rotation of the principal stress axes. They consist of linear elastic, non-linear hardening, rapid stress drop and strain softening. The frictional sliding crack model is applied to analyze microcracks nucleation, propagation and coalescence. The strain energy density factor approach is applied to determine the critical condition of microcrack nucleation, propagation and coalescence. The inelastic strain increments are formulated within the framework of thermodynamics with internal variables. Rotation of principal stress axes affect the dynamic damage constitutive relationship and the failure strength of brittle rock.     

单轴拉伸条件下脆性岩石微裂纹损伤模型研究

利用断裂力学、损伤力学和均匀化原理,对脆性岩石单轴拉伸条件下的力学特性进行分析,建立了脆性岩石的微裂纹损伤本构模型.首先对岩石内部微裂纹的统计分布规律进行分析,给出了理论分析过程中微裂纹分布的假设条件,在此基础上,参考已有研究成果,得到含细长微裂纹脆性岩石有效弹性参数的计算公式.然后,对岩石内部单一微裂纹进行断裂力学和损伤力学分析,得到了扩展裂纹尖端的应力强度因子计算公式,在一定微裂纹断裂扩展准则和断裂扩展速率的假设基础上,利用积分原理,得到了岩石整体的损伤变量和损伤演化方程,由此建立单轴拉伸条件下脆性岩石的微裂纹损伤本构模型.最后,通过一花岗岩的单轴拉伸试验结果对微裂纹损伤本构模型进行了验证.     

动力损伤后的脆性岩石静力蠕变断裂模型研究

应力波动力扰动下脆性岩石的静力蠕变特性,对深部地下工程围岩变形的评价有重要的实践意义.动力载荷作用导致的局部细观裂纹损伤严重影响脆性岩石蠕变力学行为.基于细观裂纹扩展与应力关系模型、动力扰动损伤演化函数、静动力载荷演化路径函数与黏弹性本构模型,提出一种应力波动力扰动下脆性岩石蠕变断裂特性的宏细观力学模型.其中动力损伤通过控制岩石内部细观裂纹数量变化实现.模型描述了应力波动力扰动下岩石的应变时间演化曲线,解释了岩石动力扰动下蠕变失效特性.研究了不同应力波幅值及周期影响下的脆性岩石应变-时间关系曲线,并通过试验结果验证了模型的合理性.讨论了动力损伤变化形式,突变发生时刻,突变量的大小对岩石蠕变失效特性的影响.分析了应力波幅值、周期对岩石动态动力损伤效应以及蠕变失效特性的影响.主要研究结果:动力损伤的变化值越大,岩石蠕变失效发生时间越短.冲击载荷扰动期间,动力损伤发生的时刻及增加的形式,对动力扰动后的岩石应变及蠕变破坏时间影响很小.动力损伤变化量随应力波幅值增加、周期减小而加速增大.应力波幅值越大、周期越小,岩石发生蠕变失效时间越短.     

MICROMECHANICAL MODELLING OF STRAIN SOFTENING IN MICROCRACK-WEAKENED QUASI-BRITTLE MATERIALS

By using the concept of domain of microcrack growth(DMG),themicromechanisms of damage in quasi-brittle materials subjected to triaxial either tensileor compressive loading are investigated and the complete strew-strain relation includingfour stages is obtained from micromechanical analysis.The regime of pre-peaknonlinear hardening corresponds to the distributed damage,i.e.the stable propagationof microcracks.After the attainment of the ultimate strength of load-bearing capacity,some microcracks experience the second unstable growth and the distributed damage istransmitted to the localization of damage.These analyses improve our understanding ofthe hardening and softening behaviors of quasi-brittle materials.     

A new damage model for microcrack-weakened brittle solids

In the present paper, a micromechanically based damage model for microcrack-weakened solids is developed. The concept of the domain of microcrack growth (DMG) is defined and used to describe the damage state and the anisotropic properties of brittle materials. After choosing an appropriate fracture criterion of microcrack, we obtain the analytical expression of DMG under a monotonically increasing proportional plane stress. Under a complex loading path, the evolution equation of DMG and the overall effective compliance tensor of damaged materials are given. The project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China     

Localization of deformation and stress–strain relation for mesoscopic heterogeneous brittle rock materials under unloading

Stress redistribution induced by excavation of underground engineering and slope engineering results in the unloading zone in parts of surrounding rock masses. The mechanical behaviors of crack-weakened rock masses under unloading are different from those of crack-weakened rock masses under loading. A micromechanics-based model has been proposed for brittle rock material undergoing irreversible changes of their microscopic structures due to microcrack growth when axial stress is held constant while lateral confinement is reduced. The basic idea of the present model is to classify the constitution relation of rock material into four stages including some of the stages of linear elasticity, pre-peak nonlinear hardening, rapid stress drop, and strain softening, and to investigate their corresponding micromechanical damage mechanisms individually. Special attention is paid to the transition from structure rearrangements on microscale to the macroscopic inelastic strain, to the transition from distribution damage to localization of damage and the transition from homogeneous deformation to localization of deformation. The closed-form explicit expression for the complete stress–strain relation of rock materials containing cracks under unloading is obtained. The results show that the complete stress–strain relation and the strength of rock materials under unloading depend on the crack spacing, the fracture toughness of rock materials, orientation of the cracks, the crack half-length and the crack density parameter.     

Analysis of the localization of damage and the complete stress-strain relation for mesoscopic heterogeneous brittle rock subjected to compressive loads

A micromechanics-based model is established. The model takes the interaction among sliding cracks into account, and it is able to quantify the effect of various parameters on the localization condition of damage and deformation for brittle rock subjected to compressive loads. The closed-form explicit expression for the complete stress-strain relation of rock containing microcracks subjected to compressive loads was obtained. It is showed that the complete stress-strain relation includes linear elasticity, nonlinear hardening, rapid stress drop and strain softening. The behavior of rapid stress drop and strain softening is due to localization of deformation and damage. Theoretical predictions have shown to be consistent with the exoerimental results.     

Triaxial compressive behavior of rock with mesoscopic heterogenous behavior: Strain energy density factor approach

The strain energy density factor approach is used in conjunction with a micromechanics model to investigate the condition and direction of shear failure for brittle rock subjected to triaxial compression. Moderate confinement in addition to localized deformation and damage are considered. Quantified are the effects of the various geometric and load parameters that involve the interaction of microcrack, friction and the confining pressure such that the path of the wing crack is taken into account. The influence of all microcracks with different orientations are introduced into the constitutive relation. The closed-form solution for the complete stress–strain relation of rock containing microcracks is obtained. It is shown that the complete stress–strain relationship includes linear, nonlinear hardening, rapid stress drop and strain softening effects. The theoretical results show that deviation of the direction of wing cracks from the line of the pre-existing crack decreases with increasing confinement pressure and friction coefficient. Theoretical predictions and experimental results show good agreement.     

A statistical model of microcracking of concrete under uniaxial compression

At increasing external load, numerous microcracks propagate in discrete and successive stages within a body of concrete material according to the hierarchy of their tensile fracture strengths. Each microcrack propagation is conditional upon the statistical encounter of its associated fracture criterion. This paper shows the development of a statistical model for the progressive microcrack growth process within a body of concrete material at monotonic uniaxial loading in compression to ultimate failure. This model is formulated by using the Weibull's statistical theory of the strength of materials. The body of heterogeneous concrete material is simulated as a continuum comprising a large population of microscopic “weakest-link” isoenergy elements, each of which contains a unit-volume of representative micro-structural material which is linearly elastic, homogeneous and isotropic. The statistical modelling is derived from the stochastic evaluation of the tensile micro-fracture probabilities of these isoenergy elements at increasing global uniaxial compressive strains.     

Probabilistic character of the microcrack growth in brittle layered materials

Characteristics of microcrack initiation, multiplication and saturation in layered materials are discussed. A probabilistic-analytical method, the ‘characteristic curve method (CCM)’ is developed to correlate the initial defects and the microcrack evolution under static and cyclic loadings. The ‘equivalent applied loading’ and the ‘equivalent crack density’ concepts are introduced to describe different microcrack multiplication features in different layered materials. Microcrack multiplication processes in many layered materials with brittle matrices subjected to static and cyclic loadings can be easily predicted.     

Estimate of effective elastic moduli with microcrack interaction effects

A method is developed for estimating the effects of microdefect interaction on the effective elastic properties of heterogeneous solids. An effective medium is defined to calculate the global effective elastic moduli of brittle materials weakened by distributed microcracks. Each microcrack is assumed to be embedded in an effective medium, the compliance of which is obtained from the dilute concentration method without accounting for interaction. The present scheme requires no iteration; it can account for microcrack interaction with sufficient accuracy. Analytical solutions are given for several two- and three-dimension problems with and without anisotropy.     

Analysis of the localization of deformation and the complete stress–strain relation for mesoscopic heterogeneous brittle rock under dynamic uniaxial tensile loading

Stress redistribution induced by excavation results in the tensile zone in parts of the surrounding rock mass. It is significant to analyze the localization of deformation and damage, and to study the complete stress–strain relation for mesoscopic heterogeneous rock under dynamic uniaxial tensile loading. On the basis of micromechanics, the complete stress–strain relation including linear elasticity, nonlinear hardening, rapid stress drop and strain softening is obtained. The behaviors of rapid stress drop and strain softening are due to localization of deformation and damage. The constitutive model, which analyze localization of deformation and damage, is distinct from the conventional model. Theoretical predictions have shown to consistent with the experimental results.     

A micro–macro method for predicting the shear strength of brittle rock under compressive loading

Microcracks have great significance for shear strength of brittle rock in compression. A major challenge of this area is to establish the correlation of microcracks and macroscopic shear strength. A new micro–macro method is presented to predict the shear strength of brittle rock in compression. This method incorporates the microcrack model suggested by Ashby, Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion and a crack-strain relation. This crack–strain relation is presented to link the crack growth and axial strain by combining the micro and macro definitions from rock damage. The shear strength and stress–strain relationship of Jinping marble are theoretically investigated in detail. The rationality of this suggested method is verified by using the experimental results founded on Jinping marble. Effects of the initial microcrack size, friction coefficient and confining pressure on internal friction angle, cohesion, and shear strength are also discussed.     

M-integral analysis for a two-dimensional metal/ceramic bimaterial solid with extending subinterface microcracks

Summary  The problem of the extension of subinterface microcracks in an infinite metal/ceramic bimaterial solid is studied. For the microcrack growth, the values of the M-integral are calculated under the assumption of a self-similar growth. First, the role that the M-integral plays in a metal/ceramic bimaterial solid with growing subinterface cracks is analyzed. It is concluded that an inherent relation exists between the value of the M-integral and the decrease of the effective elastic moduli for a bimaterial solid with growing subinterface microcracks. Second, it is concluded that mutual amplification and shielding effects exist during the microcrack extension, while they are substantially dependent on the increment of the microcrack length as well as the geometry of the microcrack arrangement under given loads. This strong mutual shielding effect of interacting microcracks makes the microcrack extension become increasingly difficult, and may stop the growth of the microcracks even under constant loads. Also, it is concluded that for a certain microcrack growth, the value of the M-integral in metal/ceramic bimaterial solid is always larger than that in homogeneous brittle solid for the same crack configuration. This means that the same microcrack growth in the former case shows lower stability than that in the latter one, due to the existence of a ductile phase. Received 3 May 2001; accepted for publication 27 June 2002 This work was supported by the Chinese National Nature Science Foundation (Grant 19472053) and supported by the Doctorate Foundation of Xi'an Jiaotong University (Grant DFXJU2000-15).     

损伤弹性材料的有效模量及本构关系

考虑了微裂纹之间的相互作用，利用随机熔断丝网络（Ｒａｎｄｏｍｆｕｓｅｎｅｔｗｏｒｋ）作为模型，模拟了脆性材料在外载荷作用下，其有效模量随损伤的演变行为，并考察了系统含损伤的本构关系。发现在损伤初期，有效模量和损伤具有线性下降关系；而在后期，由于损伤局部化，有效模量迅速下降，提出了一个有效模量随损伤变化的非线性关系。讨论了利用网络模型来研究材料含损伤本构关系的可行性和优越性。