MODELING OF JOINTED ROCK MASSES USING A COMBINED EQUIVALENT-CONTINUUM AND DISCRETE APPROACH

摘要

This paper presents the modeling of jointed rock masses using a combined equivalent-continuum and discrete approach. A two-scale modelling concept is proposed that is implemented in a mesh-based partition of unity method called the manifold method. The two-scale concept categorizes joints of a jointed rock mass into a primary joint set and a secondary joint set. The primary joint set is defined as the one that has wider joint spacing and dominates the overall kinematics of jointed rock masses. The secondary joint set is defined as the one that has narrower joint spacing and high density. In this study, the primary joint set is modelled explicitly and the secondary joint set is modeled using an equivalent-continuum model. Moreover, in the present approach the primary joint set can either be persistent or non-persistent. Application example demonstrates the proposed method provides a balancing and efficient solution for the modeling of heavily jointed rock masses and can also be used for estimating the strength and deformation characteristics of jointed rock masses.