Recent advances in computing power and percolation theory have led to the development of new statistical models for the fracture of heterogeneous materials, with promising preliminary results. However, application of these models to the field of rock mechanics has been limited because many of the models developed to date operate in a tensile stress field, whereas most of the rock mechanics applications involve compressive stresses. We have developed a statistical model that allows us to use the theoretical machinery of percolation theory to characterize rock fracture in compression. In this paper we describe a zeroth order model that incorporates disorder in the media due to variations in the shape and strength of individual grains, as well as heterogeneity in the local stress field due to cracks and excavations. We also present results of numerical experiments performed with the model; these were designed to evaluate the fundamental role that various types of disorder play in the fracture of rock.
展开▼
