Effects of crack inclination on shear failure of brittle geomaterials under compression

Abstract

A micromechanics-based approach is proposed to predict the shear failure of brittle rocks under compression. Formulation of this approach is based on an improved wing microcrack model, the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion, and a micro-macro damage model. The improved wing microcrack model considers the effects of crack inclination angle on mechanical behaviors of rocks. The micro-macro damage model describes the relation between crack growth and axial strain. Furthermore, comparing experimental and theoretical relations between crack initiation stress and confining pressure, model parameters (i.e., μ, a, β, and φ) hardly measured by test are solved. Effects of crack inclination angle, crack size, and friction coefficient on stress-strain relation, compressive strength, internal friction angle, cohesion, shear failure plane angle, and shear strength are discussed in details. A most disadvantaged crack angle is found, which is corresponding to the smallest compressive strength, cohesion, internal friction angle, and shear strength of rocks. Rationality of the theoretical results is verified by the published experimental results. This approach provides a theoretical prediction for effects of microcrack geometry on macroscopic shear properties in brittle rocks under compression.