Brazilian Splitting Research Articles

Influence of microwave irradiation and water-based cooling on the fracturing behavior and failure mode transition of CSTBD granite

Utilizing microwave heating in conjunction with water-based cooling technology can effectively reduce the fracture toughness of hard rocks. However, the fracturing characteristics and failure modes of hard rocks following microwave heating and water-based cooling remain undisclosed. Granite, being one of the most common types of hard rocks, was selected for this study, employing Cracked Straight Through Brazilian Disc (CSTBD) specimens for laboratory testing. CSTBD specimens with various crack angles (0, 30, 60, and 90°) underwent treatment with varying microwave durations (30, 60, 180, 300, and 420 s). Subsequently, Brazilian splitting tests were conducted on the damaged specimens. To simulate the entire process of microwave heating and mechanical testing of CSTBD specimens, we developed a coupled Finite Element Method – Distinct Lattice Spring Model (FEM-DLSM) approach. The results indicate that microwave heating with water-based cooling significantly influences the fracture toughness of CSTBD granite. Mode-I fracture toughness decreases with microwave heating temperature at a low crack angle (pure tensile failure and tensile–shear mixed failure) and increases at a high crack angle (compressive–shear failure and compressive failure). Mode II fracture toughness decreases with microwave heating temperature at any crack angle. Microwave heating with water-based cooling causes a decrease in the transition angles from tensile–shear failure to compressive–shear failure and from compressive–shear failure to compressive failure. Thermally induced microcracks in the rock specimen are responsible for changes in fracture toughness and failure mode transitions. After microwave heating and water-based cooling, numerous microcracks are induced in the rock interior. While macroscopic cracks predominantly control failure, growing microcracks, by weakening the rock matrix, shift the initiation position of the failure crack from the tip of the macroscopic crack to other positions, following the principle of the weakest failure path.

Multiscale characterization of carbonate-rich shale: From micro structure to macro mechanical properties, a case study in Hongxing Block, China

As a new growth point of shale gas production, carbonate-rich shale has recently attracted great interest. However, gas production from this reservoir was poor since the properties of the carbonate-rich shale have not been systematically studied. This is an urgent need to be addressed. Downhole cores collected from an exploration well were analyzed by micro-structure experiments (X-ray diffraction, mineral quantitative evaluation, low-pressure nitrogen adsorption, and mercury intrusion piezometry test) and macro-mechanical tests (triaxial compression, Brazilian splitting, and fracture toughness test) to obtain multiscale characterization of carbonate-rich shale. The intrinsic relationship between the microstructural and mechanical characteristics of this reservoir has been revealed. The results showed that (1) The content of carbonate minerals exceeds 30%, just slightly lower than that of quartz. Calcite has large particle sizes and is closely cemented with quartz to form a dense rock skeleton. (2) The maximum adsorption volume, specific surface area, total pore volume and average pore diameter values are poor, which is unfavorable for shale gas accumulation. Limited porosity and permeability and great tortuosity can be obstacles to the release of accumulated gas. (3) High peak deviatoric stress, Young's modulus, and Poisson's ratio were contributed by dense rock skeleton. (4) Narrow maximum main fracture width is not favorable to place proppants and further to create effective gas transport channels. (5) High tensile strength and fracture toughness enhance high breakdown and extension pressure. These comprehensive insights are of great significance for both the exploration and development of carbonate-rich shale reservoirs.

Influence of granulated graphite on fracture behavior of MgO–C refractories based on Brazilian splitting test with digital image correlation method and acoustic emission technique

Flake graphite is prone to preferential orientation distribution owing to its flat geometric structure, resulting in significant anisotropy of the physical properties of MgO-C refractories, thus affecting their service performance. The preferential orientation of flake graphite within the material can be suppressed by granulation. In this study, the influence of granulated graphite on fracture behavior of MgO-C refractories was investigated based on the Brazilian splitting test combined with digital image correlation method and acoustic emission technique. The thermal shock resistance of the MgO-C refractories was compared using oil quenching method. The results showed that in the Brazilian splitting test, MgO-C refractories exhibited peak values for tensile strength, fracture energy, and maximum horizontal strain at fracture when θ=0º (θ: angle between loading and shaping direction), followed by a subsequent decrease with increasing θ. Moreover, the introduction of granulated graphite effectively mitigated the anisotropy of mechanical and deformation characteristics of MgO-C refractories. Additionally, the addition of granulated graphite reduced the maximum thermal expansion coefficient and its anisotropy in MgO-C refractories, and promoted the generation of a higher proportion of shear or mixed crack modes, thereby contributing to enhancing the thermal shock resistance of MgO-C refractories.

Numerical Modeling of Progressive Damage and Failure of Tunnels Deeply-Buried in Rock Considering the Strain-Energy-Density Theory

Exploring the rock failure mechanism from an energy perspective is crucial for ensuring the safe construction of tunnels under complex geological conditions. In this study, a progressive damage and failure model of rock elements is established using the strain-energy-density theory based on the thermodynamic theory. Specifically, the rock elements are considered to have failed when the strain energy density absorbed by the element is greater than the critical strain energy density. Besides, the damage evolution of rock elements is reflected through the reduction of elastic modulus, until the element only has a certain residual strength. Based on the above theory, the calculation program of rock damage and failure is developed in FLAC3D using the FISH language. The validity of the method for simulating the process of rock damage and failure is verified through the numerical simulation of Brazilian splitting tests. Finally, the model was applied to the overload test of the geo-mechanical model of the Liangshui Tunnel on Lanzhou-Chongqing Railway. The comparison between the numerical simulation and the test results has not only confirmed that the feasibility and accuracy of the model in simulating the progressive failure process of tunnel surrounding rock under high ground stress, but also its ability to visually display the damage degree, failure scope and evolution process of the surrounding rock. The research findings are of great significance in ensuring the safe construction of tunnel and will promote the efficient development of the underground engineering construction.

Influence of liquid nitrogen cooling on Brazilian splitting characteristic of coal and sandstone

The use of liquid nitrogen fracturing can effectively improve the permeability of unconventional natural gas reservoirs. In order to explore the impact of liquid nitrogen cooling on the tensile failure behavior of coal and sandstone, a series of physical and Brazilian splitting tests were conducted on coal and sandstone. Compared with the control group, the velocity, tensile strength, and splitting modulus reduction of coal were 24.7%, 19.7%, and 52.4%, respectively, and the corresponding reductions for sandstone were 5.5%, 14.7%, and 15.4%. Energy analysis and failure characteristics demonstrated that liquid nitrogen cooling promoted widespread distribution of internal damage in coal and sandstone, and the degree of internal structure damage determined the complexity of the failure mode. The greater the internal damage, the more branch cracks occurred during failure, and the greater the path tortuosity and degree of fragmentation.

Influence of different cooling treatments on the mechanical properties of granite under Brazilian splitting test by grain‐based model 3D

AbstractDuring the operation of an enhanced geothermal system (EGS), the reservoir rock undergoes different cooling treatments based on the distance to the surface rock. The tensile capacity of reservoir rocks is a key parameter in estimating the parameters of the hydraulic fracturing process. Therefore, the gain‐based model 3D (GBM3D) was constructed to explore the micro behavior of granite under the heating/cooling process and the Brazilian splitting test. The numerical results demonstrate the ability of GBM3D to reproduce the grain interlocking and rotational resistance behavior, making it applicable to simulate the mechanical behavior of granite under uniaxial compression and the Brazilian splitting test. Temperature and cooling rates have significant effects on the stress‐strain curves. With the increase in temperature, the curves after peak strength translate from brittle to ductile, and the turning point of water‐cooled granite is lower than that of air‐cooled granite. When more flaws are present in the specimen, micro‐cracks tend to occur along the loading axial near the center of the specimen. This result can be used to explain the defect in numerical simulation, where cracks are easy to develop near the loading position under the Brazilian splitting test. This work can provide recommendations for hydraulic fracturing.

Mechanical properties and fracture surface roughness of thermally damaged granite under dynamic splitting

AbstractIn order to understand the mechanical properties and the fracture surface roughness characteristics of thermally damaged granite under dynamic splitting, dynamic Brazilian splitting tests were conducted on granite samples after thermal treatment at 25, 200, 400, and 600°C. Results show that the dynamic peak splitting strength of thermally damaged granite samples increases with increasing strain rate, showing obvious strain‐rate sensitivity. With increasing temperature, thermally induced cracks in granite transform from intergranular cracks to intragranular cracks, and to a transgranular crack network. Thermally induced damages reduce the dynamic peak splitting strength and the maximum absorbed energy while increasing the peak radial strain. The fracture mode of the thermally damaged granite under dynamic loads is mode II splitting failure. By using the axial roughness index , the distribution ranges of the wedge‐shaped failure zones and the tensile failure zones in the fracture surfaces under dynamic Brazilian splitting can be effectively identified. The radial roughness index is sensitive to the strain rate and temperature. It shows a linear correlation with the peak splitting strength and the maximum absorbed energy and a linear negative correlation with the peak radial strain. can be used to quantitatively estimate the dynamic parameters based on the models proposed.

Acoustic emission and splitting surface roughness of sandstone in a Brazilian splitting test under the influence of water saturation

Water weakens rock masses, which induces a series of engineering geological hazards. In this study, Brazilian splitting and acoustic emission (AE) experiments were conducted on sandstone with different saturation levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%), and the effect of saturation on the AE and fracture characteristics was investigated. Meanwhile, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) test was used to analyze the water absorption and distribution characteristics of the samples with different saturation. Three-dimensional (3D) morphological scanning and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed to analyze the roughness of the splitting surface. The tensile strength of rocks decreased from 3.05 MPa to 0.98 MPa with a moisture content from dry to saturated conditions, which obeyed an exponential function. The hardness of the sandstone decreased from dry to saturated by 56.6%, whereas the plasticity of the high-saturation sandstone increased. The AE counts and cumulative energy distribution decreased from 3880 and 39,550 to 1248 and 476, respectively, from dry to saturated conditions. Based on the Ib value, the rock damage process can be divided into three stages: fluctuation, stabilization, and decline. As the saturation increased, the initial Ib value decreased from 0.1047 to 0.0755. The development of large fractures increased during the splitting of the highly saturated rocks. With increasing saturation, the fracture surface joint roughness coefficient (JRC) and fractal dimension increased. The mean JRC increased from 5.98 to 13.6025. The unsaturated JRC showed an obvious dispersion compared with the dry and saturated sandstones. Combined with micro-macro characterization, it was found that an increase in saturation caused the rock to generate a weak structure. The damage gradually evolved from transgranular to intergranular fractures, leading to the macroscopic performance of rougher splitting surfaces and lower AE.

Study of the Dynamic Failure Characteristics of Anisotropic Shales Under Impact Brazilian Splitting

The mechanical behaviors of shales with transversely isotropic characteristics under dynamic loading have great significance for structural instability in geotechnical engineering. To understand the effect of transverse isotropy on the deformability and tensile strength of shales subjected to dynamic loading, a group of impact Brazilian tests were carried out on shale specimens via a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) testing system. High-speed digital image correlation technology was applied to monitor the fracture process. The experimental results demonstrate that the failure strength has considerable anisotropy as the bedding angle of the embedded layers changes. Moreover, the tensile strength of shales with vertical bedding is usually higher than that of shales with parallel bedding. The observed failure mode is mainly the interaction between tensile and/or shear fractures, and with increasing loading rate, layer-activated fractures tend to occur. Furthermore, five typical failure patterns of transversely isotropic shales characterized by different mechanisms under dynamic Brazilian testing were found. The shales were sensitive to the strain rate when the deformation and fracture response under dynamic loading were assessed. In addition, the modified Nova‒Zaninetti criterion that considers the strain rate effect was proposed according to the Brazilian splitting data and dynamic coordinate system. The established criterion not only properly represents the law of dynamic strength but also provides a new understanding of the effect of strain rate on strength. It has proven to be effective for predicting the dynamic strength characteristics of shales.

Comparative analysis of three different types of self-healing concrete via permeability testing and a quasi-steady-state chloride migration test

Concrete is the most used construction material in the world and with the growing world population, the demand for housing and infrastructure keeps increasing. Due to its low tensile strength, concrete cracks easily and these cracks have a negative effect on the durability. Different studies have already been conducted on the development of self-healing concrete, which has the ability to heal its own cracks. Unfortunately, due to a lack of standardized test methods, the boundary conditions in these studies are often different, making it difficult to do an accurate comparison. In this research, three different healing agents are tested using the same test methods under the same boundary conditions: a powder of organic/inorganic composite material (WM), solidified calcium sulfoaluminate capsules (SMU) and bacterial pellets (KU). The healing efficiency of the agents is tested with (1) a low-head water flow test on prismatic specimens cracked in a three-point bending test with subsequent active crack width control, (2) a Korean water permeability test on cylindrical specimens cracked by a Brazilian splitting test, (3) a chloride diffusion test and (4) a quasi-steady-state chloride migration test. The results showed that WM performed superior with respect to the reference mix and the other healing agents in the two water permeability tests and the quasi-steady-state chloride migration. The performance of SMU and KU was depending on the healing condition. When fully saturated during healing, the KU specimens had a good behaviour and SMU performed poorly. For the cylindrical specimens, with the specimen partly immersed in water, SMU and KU had a similar performance which was better in comparison to the reference.

Brazilian splitting experiment and finite element simulation analysis of the influence of bedding loading angle on shale fracture mode

During the diagenetic processes of compaction and cementation, shale forms multiple beddings, significantly effecting the rock anisotropy. Therefore, it is important to study the effect of bedding on the mechanical properties of shale to guide fracturing engineering. To study the failure mode and fracture morphology of shale with bedding planes under different bedding dip angles, Brazilian disc splitting tests and finite element numerical simulations are performed for shale samples and the results are compared. (1) The bedding angle has a significant effect on the failure mode and tensile strength of shale, and the tensile strength tends to increase with increasing bedding angle. (2) The failure modes of shale under different bedding dip angles can be divided into three types: tensile failure along the bedding plane; comprehensive shear and tensile failure of the matrix and the bedding plane; and matrix tensile failure. (3) The direction of secondary cracks is mostly perpendicular to the bedding plane, and a smaller angle between the load application direction and the bedding direction results in a larger number of generated cracks with more complex shapes. (4) When the loading angle of the bedding is 30°, the tensile strength is low and the matrix and the bedding plane are comprehensively destroyed by shear and tension, resulting in a more complex joint mesh; conversely, when the bedding angle is greater than 60°, the tensile strength increases and the complexity of the seam mesh decreases. These findings can provide guidance for the selection of the bedding angle and the design of fracturing schemes in fracturing engineering.

Macro/Microfracture evolution and instability behaviors of high-temperature granite under water-cooling subjected to Brazilian splitting test using the DIC technique.

To investigate the evolution and stability characteristics of granite thermal damage, a series of Brazilian splitting tests is conducted on high-temperature granite samples using digital image correlation (DIC) technology. The results show that the Brazilian tensile strength and P-wave velocity exhibit a clear decline beyond a temperature threshold of 450~600°C, with a linear relationship between them. The presence of micro-cracks alters the stress transfer path, disrupting the stress balance on the Brazilian disc and leading to complex fracture patterns. At temperatures below 450°C, high strain areas and the development of micro-cracks occur at both the upper and lower loading ends of the granite Brazilian disc. However, these phenomena are only observed at the upper loading end when the temperature exceeds 450°C. Thermal cracks also cause changes in the internal structure of rock samples, and temperature variations can affect both the P-wave velocity and tensile strength. In terms of the relationship between P-wave velocity and Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) of high-temperature granite under water cooling, the negative exponential function model proposed in this study fits the experimental data very well.

Effects of heat-treatment on physical and mechanical properties of limestone

The susceptibility of buildings to fire makes it crucial to examine the physical and mechanical (P&M) properties of building stones under high temperature, which is necessary to predict and evaluate the safety and stability of stone structures. In this study, uniaxial compression (UC) and Brazilian splitting (BS) tests were performed on heat-treated limestone specimens and digital image correction (DIC) techniques were utilized to measure specimen deformation. Correlation analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were conducted on the mechanical parameters obtained from the UC and BS tests, resulting in the establishment of three principal components (y1c, y2c and y1t) that comprehensively reflect the compressive and tensile properties; these were then utilized to analyze the sensitivity of mechanical properties to temperature changes. Furthermore, based on prior experimental data regarding the fundamental physical parameters of granite, one principal component (y1w) that comprehensively reflects fundamental physical characteristics was established and utilized to predict the uniaxial compression strength (σc) and tensile strength (σt). The results indicate that the compressive properties (σc, Poisson's ratio, elastic modulus and principal compressive strain) and tensile properties (σt and tensile strain) are all affected by temperature changes; as tensile strength is sensitive to temperature changes, special attention should be paid to fire and high temperature of stone buildings with the components subjected to the tensile stress; basic mechanical properties (σc and σt) can be well predicted by a principal component (y1w) which provides a new idea for calculating indirectly the residual mechanical properties of building stones after high temperature or fire.

A Voronoi tessellated model considering damage evolution for modeling meso-mechanical mechanism of the sandstone

The strength of sandstone samples considering different particle sizes is required in many engineering applications. A rock model based on the Voronoi tessellated model is established for studying the failure mechanism of sandstone samples. Uniaxial compression, Brazilian splitting and triaxial compression tests are carried out to evaluate the influence of different crystal sizes on macroscopic parameters of sandstone. The uniaxial compressive strength, elastic modulus and tensile strength of the specimens show an increasing trend with the decrease in the crystal size. Failure with redistributed stress has been observed, and strain energy density (SED) can help explain the failure mechanisms. Additionally, a constitutive model is compiled to reproduce the damage evolution taking into account the heterogeneity in elastic modulus and rock strength, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. In the engineering application, it is found that the damage on the surface of the slope is triggered by the action of vibration excitation. The dynamic response of the slope is more intense if the vibration frequency reaches its optimal frequency. The proposed constitutive model is used to quantitatively evaluate the accumulation of damage of the Mining-by tunnel. This work is anticipated to be extensively utilized in other engineering applications.

Study on Proportioning Scheme of Coal System Rocky Similar Material Based on Orthogonal Test.

Similar materials play an important role in model testing. In order to meet the demand for similar materials in modeling tests, such as those on coal mining, coal system rocky similar materials were formulated using yellow sand as a coarse aggregate, heavy calcium carbonate as a fine aggregate, and cement and gypsum as binders. Based on the orthogonal experimental design method, four influencing factors, namely the aggregate-binder ratio, heavy calcium carbonate content, cement-gypsum ratio, and moisture content, were selected. Each factor was designed at five levels. Through weighing, uniaxial compression, Brazilian splitting, and variable-angle plate shear tests on 225 specimens under 25 different ratios, five physico-mechanical property indicators of the material, including density, compressive strength, tensile strength, cohesion, and internal friction angle, were obtained under different ratios. The test results indicate that the similar materials formulated with the above raw materials had a wide range of mechanical properties, which met the simulation needs of different types of coal rocks, such as main coking coal, anthracite, shale, etc., in the similar model test. Range analysis was adopted to analyze the sensitivities to each factor, which showed that the density and internal friction angle of similar materials are mainly controlled by the aggregate-binder ratio; the cement-gypsum ratio mainly controls the compressive strength, tensile strength, and cohesion of the material. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was adopted to analyze the sensitivities to each factor, which showed that the aggregate-binder ratio had a highly significant effect on the density of the material, the cement-gypsum ratio had a highly significant effect on the compressive and tensile strength of the material, the cement-gypsum ratio had a significant effect on the cohesion and density of the material, and the moisture content had a significant effect on the compressive strength of the material. The remaining factors did not significantly affect the material parameters. The results of this study can provide some reference for the selection of coal system rocky similar materials in subsequent physical modeling tests.

Experimental and numerical study of disk specimen with rough structural plane under splitting test

To study the effects of the anisotropic matrix and structural planes on the splitting strength and failure mode of rocks, Brazilian splitting tests were carried out with seven different loading angles on specimens of rock-like materials with rough structural planes. The surface strains of the samples during the failure process were monitored and analysed with the help of a high-speed camera and digital image correlation (DIC) technology. The test results showed that the Brazilian splitting strength (BSS) decreased gradually with an increased loading angle. According to the crack morphology, the samples showed three failure modes, and the structural plane and the loading angle (θ) had an important effect on the failure mode. When θ < 75°, the sample failure was mainly affected by the matrix, and when θ > 75°, the sample failure was mainly controlled by the structural plane. The numerical simulation of the sample with a structural plane was carried out by the PFC2D particle flow program, the micro parameters were calibrated using a back propagation (BP) neural network model. The internal cracks of the sample under a splitting load were mainly matrix tensile microcracks and structural plane shear microcracks, and the tensile microcracks in the side with the weak matrix appeared significantly earlier than those in the side with the strong matrix. With increasing loading angle, the proportion of tensile microcracks in the matrix increased, while the proportion of shear microcracks in the matrix decreased, especially in the weak matrix. The microcracks at the structural plane mainly changed from tensile microcracks to shear microcracks, and the development degree of microcracks along the structural plane was more significant than that on the weak matrix with increasing loading angle. The results of the study can provide a reference for rock stability evaluation and utilization.

Measurement of tensile strength of well cement sheath in underground gas storage based on tensile failure method

AbstractDuring gas injection in gas storage, the inner pressure increase, potentially leading to tensile failure of the cement sheath. At present, the fracture strength of cement stone is measured using the Brazilian splitting method (BSM), which is prone to errors due to stress concentration at the loading point. To overcome this drawback, a novel test device and measurement method were developed to assess the tensile. This device utilizes the tensile failure method (TFM) to evaluate the sealing integrity of the cement sheath. The tensile strength tested by the BSM was found to be 40% higher than that tested by the TFM. Furthermore, based on the optimization of the cement slurry for underground gas storage (UGS) in the Jidong oilfield using both the TFM and the BSM. We found that using the BSM cannot optimize the cement slurry that meets the requirements for gas storage well cementing. The latex cement slurry was selected by the TMF for UGS well.

Study on mechanical properties of new supporting materials for soft rock underground engineering

Foam concrete contains many holes inside, which has the properties of light weight, shock absorption, energy absorption. It is a good energy absorption buffer material. However, it also has the disadvantages of large shrinkage and poor ductility. In this paper, based on the requirements of foam-fiber concrete for buffering and energy absorption in soft rock support, fiber materials were added to foam concrete, and six-factor three-level orthogonal test was carried out. Combined with the analytic hierarchy process, the optimal mix ratio of each component was determined, and a new type of foam-fiber concrete was prepared. The mechanical properties and deformation law of foam-fiber concrete were studied by indoor axial compression test, DIC digital speckle test, triaxial compression test and Brazilian splitting test. The test results show that the new foam-fiber concrete has good strength, tensile and energy absorption capacity. At the same time, in order to evaluate its energy absorption effect as a buffer layer, through comparative tests, the energy absorption and buffering effect of the new foam-fiber concrete in underground engineering is analyzed. The research results provide a good reference for the study of soft rock flexible support.

Microparameters Calibration for Discrete Element Method Based on Gaussian Processes Response Surface Methodology

Microparameter calibration is an important problem that must be solved in the discrete element method. The Gaussian process (GP) response surface methodology was proposed to calibrate the microparameters based on the Bayesian principle in machine-learning methods, which addresses the problems of uncertainty, blindness, and repeatability in microparameter calibration methods. Using the particle flow code (PFC) as an example, the effects of the microparameters on the macroparameters were evaluated using the control-variable method, and the range of the microparameters was determined based on the macroparameters. The uniform design (UD) method and numerical calculation were used to obtain training samples, and a GP response surface methodology suitable for multifactor, multilevel, and nonlinear processes was used to establish the response surface relationships for macro–micro parameters of rock-like materials in discrete element method. According to the macroparameters obtained from the uniaxial experiments conducted on rock specimens, the microparameters were calibrated using the GP response surfaces. Numerical calculations of uniaxial compression and Brazilian splitting were performed using microparameters, and the results were compared with laboratory experiments for verification. The results showed that the relative errors of the GP response surface and laboratory test values were 5.3% for the modulus of elasticity, −7.8% for compressive strength, and −2.6% for tensile strength. The nonlinear GP response surface considered the characteristics of multiple interacting factors, and the established nonlinear response surface relationship between the microparameters and macroparameters can be used for the calibration of microparameters. The accuracy of the microparameters was verified according to the stress–strain curve and failure morphology of the rock specimens. The method of using the GP response surface to establish the macro–micro parameter relationship in the discrete element method can also be extended to other numerical simulation methods and can provide a basis for accurately analysing the microdamage mechanism of rock materials under complex loading conditions.

Resultant Normal Contact Force-Based Contact Friction Model for the Combined Finite-Discrete Element Method and Its Validation

In the conventional FDEM (Combined Finite and Discrete Element Method), each contact pair might have multiple contact points where friction forces are applied, leading to non-unique friction force assignments and potentially introducing computational errors. This study introduces a new contact friction algorithm for FDEM based on the resultant normal contact force. This method necessitates determining the friction force at a unique equivalent contact point, thereby significantly simplifying the computational flow and reducing memory usage. A series of numerical tests are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed contact model. Using collision and block sliding tests, the proposed contact friction model is verified to be able to accurately capture the frictional effect between discrete bodies and circumvent the problematic kinetic energy dissipation issue associated with the original contact friction algorithm. For the Brazilian splitting and uniaxial compression tests, the simulated results closely align with those generated using the original contact friction algorithm and match the experimental measurements well, demonstrating the applicability of the proposed algorithm in fracturing analysis. Furthermore, by using the proposed contact friction algorithm, a computational efficiency enhancement of 8% in contact force evaluation can be achieved.