Capturing the complete stress–strain behaviour of jointed rock using a numerical approach

Abstract

SummaryThis paper presents the results of a series of numerical experiments using the synthetic rock mass (SRM) approach to quantify the behaviour of jointed rock masses. Field data from a massive sulphide rock mass, at the Brunswick mine, were used to develop a discrete fracture network (DFN). The constructed DFN model was subsequently subjected to random sampling whereby 40 cubic samples, of height to width ratio of two, and of varying widths (0.05 to 10 m) were isolated. The discrete fracture samples were linked to 3D bonded particle models to generate representative SRM models for each sample size. This approach simulated the jointed rock mass as an assembly of fractures embedded into the rock matrix.The SRM samples were submitted to uniaxial loading, and the complete stress–strain behaviour of each specimen was recorded. This approach provided a way to determine the complex constitutive behaviour of large‐scale rock mass samples. This is often difficult or not possible to achieve in the laboratory.The numerical experiments suggested that higher post‐peak modulus values were obtained for smaller samples and lower values for larger sample sizes. Furthermore, the observed deviation of the recorded post‐peak modulus values decreased with sample size. The ratio of residual strength of rock mass samples per uniaxial compressive strength intact increases moderately with sample size. Consequently, for the investigated massive sulphide rock mass, the pre‐peak and post‐peak representative elemental volume size was found to be the same (7 × 7 × 14 m). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.