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Effects of flaw width on cracking behavior of single-flawed rock specimens

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Abstract

Cracking behavior of flawed samples has been extensively studied in rocks and rock-like materials using experimental and numerical approaches. However, the existing research mainly focuses on the effects of flaw length l and inclination angle α on rock mechanical behavior, a limited attention has been given to understand the role of flaw width b on crack initiation and propagation in relation to mechanical parameters of rocks. In this paper, a two-dimensional particle flow code (PFC2D)-based synthetic rock model, which is calibrated by the laboratory sandstone properties, is used to investigate the effects of flaw width on cracking behavior of single-flawed rock samples under uniaxial compression tests. Numerical simulation results show that the flaw width b has significant effects on the crack geometrical parameters (crack initiation location d and crack initiation angle θ). The values of θ and d significantly decrease with the increase of flaw width when b < 1.0 mm and their values tend to be stable with the further increase of flaw widths. It is also found that the mechanical properties (uniaxial compressive strength UCS and deformation modulus Es) of flawed rock samples are related to the crack geometrical parameters (θ and d) and the effects of flaw width on the values of UCS and Es of single-flawed rock specimens is significant when b < 1.0 mm for lower crack inclination angle (α < 60°).

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Mr. Manzi Cedrick for reviewing the manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51504218, No. 11372363); the State Key Laboratory for GeoMechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (SKLGDUEK1808); and Beijing Outstanding Young Scientist Program (BJJWZYJH 01201911413037).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Port, Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310015, China

    Jiayi Shen & Shaoxiang Zhan

  2. State Key Laboratory for GeoMechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, China

    Jiayi Shen

  3. School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia

    Murat Karakus

  4. State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, 100083, China

    Jianping Zuo

  5. Institute of Rock Mechanics and Fractals, School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, 100083, China

    Jianping Zuo

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  1. Jiayi Shen
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  2. Shaoxiang Zhan
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  3. Murat Karakus
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  4. Jianping Zuo
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Correspondence to Jianping Zuo.

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Shen, J., Zhan, S., Karakus, M. et al. Effects of flaw width on cracking behavior of single-flawed rock specimens. Bull Eng Geol Environ 80, 1701–1711 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-020-02029-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-020-02029-w

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