Equilizing of the Primary Stress State in the Rock Mass, Simulated by a Model of Layer in an Elastic-Viscous Medium

Abstract

Abstract This paper is devoted to the analysis of the stress development process in the homogeneous and non-homogeneous rock mass. The rock-mass model consists of an elastic-viscous medium containing a layer (Fig. 1) that displays distinct geomechanical strain properties. When examining the process of stress equilizing in time, the Norton-Bailey power creep law was applied in the numerical analysis. The relationship between effective stresses and time, the modulus of elasticity, Poisson’s coefficient, and creep compliance were obtained. It was demonstrated that the relationship between effective stress and time or creep compliance, for the assumed conditions in a homogeneous rock-mass, was approximated by hyperbolic functions (10 and 16). The process parameter included a certain value of creep compliance or of time at which there occurred a half-way equilizing of primary stresses. An analogous function binds effective stresses with creep compliance. Our model studies indicated a number of relationships between bulk and shear strain with time and creep compliance in the homogeneous and non-homogeneous rock mass, presented in Figs. 2-14, expressed by the functions of those specific parameters. The relationships obtained in this work resulted from our model assumptions. However, they demonstrated the influence of the geomechanical strain properties of rocks on the process of shaping the primary stress state in the rock mass and the tendency to reduce the principal stress differences in time. Our research results suggested the necessity to simulate the primary stress state as an initial condition of the geomechanical numerical analysis concerning the rock-mass behaviour showing rheological properties.