REV and its properties on fracture system and mechanical properties, and an orthotropic constitutive model for a jointed rock mass in a dam site in China

Qiong Wu, P. H.S.W. Kulatilake

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

171 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fracture data available for one of the rock masses (limestone) in the dam site of Yujian River Reservoir were used to build and validate a stochastic 3-D fracture network model, and to perform a REV and equivalent continuum study in 3-D. A number of relations are developed in the paper between the rock mass mechanical parameters and fracture tensor components in 3-D. Based on the mechanical parameter values obtained in every 45° direction in 3-D, the principal parameter values, principal directions and tensors are developed for rock mass mechanical parameters to represent the REV block size properties. An incrementally linear elastic, orthotropic constitutive model is suggested to represent the equivalent continuum pre-failure mechanical behavior of the jointed rock mass by incorporating the effect of joint geometry network by the fracture tensor components.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)124-142
Number of pages19
JournalComputers and Geotechnics
Volume43
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2012

Keywords

  • Fracture tensor
  • Mechanical properties
  • Orthotropic constitutive model
  • REV
  • Scale effect
  • Stochastic fracture network

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
  • Computer Science Applications

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