An understanding of progressive time-dependent deformation is essential for determining appropriate measures to ensure the long-term integrity of rock-masses surrounding engineering structures. We propose a 3D numerical model, that uses the Norton-Bailey creep law and a time-independent damage evolution law, to investigate the progressive time-dependent deformation and fracturing of brittle rock. The model considers material heterogeneity and the concept of mesoscopic renormalization at the mesoscale. The cooperative interaction between microcrack distribution and damage evolution leads to local material degeneration as a function of increasing time in the model. First, the input parameters for the model were calibrated and the model was validated using laboratory experiments. Numerical creep simulations were then performed for a range of constant stresses. Our model can accurately replicate the evolution of strain and strain rate as a function of time, the output of acoustic emission energy, and the emergence of a macroscopic failure plane seen in laboratory experiments. Our simulations also show that the minimum creep strain rate and the time-to-failure increase and decrease, respectively, as stress is increased, also seen in laboratory experiments. For example, increasing the differential stress by 10 MPa increased the minimum creep strain rate increased by an order of magnitude. Finally, we use the proposed 3D model to investigate the time-dependent stability of an engineering-scale rock slope containing faults at the Fushun West Open Pit coal mine. A small increase in fault-adjacent damage was observed after 40 days and, between 60 and 120 days, the damage on the side of the slope increased. After 140 days, the localized growth of the damaged elements split the slope into two segments, resulting in slope failure. Our 3D numerical model highlights potential slope instability in the Fushun West Open Pit coal mine and can be used to investigate slope stability in engineering projects worldwide.

了解渐进的随时间变化的变形对于确定适当的措施以确保岩体周围工程结构的长期完整性至关重要。我们提出了一个3D数值模型，该模型使用Norton-Bailey蠕变定律和与时间无关的损伤演化定律，来研究脆性岩石随时间的逐步变形和破裂。该模型考虑了材料异质性和中尺度的介观重新规范化的概念。微裂纹分布与损伤演化之间的协同相互作用导致局部材料退化，这是模型中时间增加的函数。首先，校准模型的输入参数，并使用实验室实验对模型进行验证。然后对一定范围的恒定应力进行了数值蠕变仿真。我们的模型可以准确地复制应变和应变率随时间的变化，声发射能量的输出以及在实验室实验中看到的宏观破坏平面的出现。我们的模拟还显示，随着应力的增加，最小蠕变应变率和失效时间分别增加和减少，这在实验室实验中也可以看到。例如，将压差增加10 MPa，最小蠕变应变率将增加一个数量级。最后，我们使用提出的3D模型研究抚顺西露天煤矿含断层的工程规模岩质边坡的时变稳定性。40天后观察到断层附近的破坏略有增加，并且在60到120天之间，边坡的破坏增加了。140天后，受损元素的局部生长将边坡分成两个部分，从而导致边坡破坏。我们的3D数值模型突显了抚顺西露天煤矿潜在的边坡失稳，可用于调查全球工程项目中的边坡稳定性。