Huang, Yao and Zolfaghari, Navid and Bunger, Andrew
(2021)
Supporting Data: Cohesive Element Simulations Capture Size and Confining Stress Dependence of Rock Fracture Toughness Obtained from Burst Experiments.
[Dataset]
(Submitted)
Abstract
Numerical analysis of growth of cracks from a notched borehole under confinement demonstrates the impact of size and confining stress on initiation and propagation behavior of rock fracture at lab scale. A Finite Element framework employing plane strain cohesive elements is applied to simulate crack initiation and propagation behavior. The model is validated by comparing predictions to results of laboratory tests known as “burst experiments”, which have been used for several decades to characterize rock fracture toughness under confined conditions. The simulations capture the crack initiation behavior with three parameter traction-separation law that is the same for all tests. This contrasts with approaches that apply linear elastic fracture mechanics wherein ad hoc stress and size dependence must be introduced to the fracture toughness. Furthermore, the simulations also confirm the limitation of the typical burst experiment configuration owing to ambiguity in identifying the moment of crack initiation, thereby pointing to a straightforward modification of the experiment that will remove this ambiguity, while also indicating that pairing Acoustic Emission monitoring with the typical setup in order to independently detect crack initiation can enable complete characterization of the traction-separation law.
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