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Coupled Fracture Modelling with Distinct Element Methods

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Book cover Modelling Rock Fracturing Processes

Abstract

The Distinct Element Method (DEM) simulates rock as an assembly of bonded particles – either spheres or convex polyhedral, and offers a unique opportunity to study the fundamentals of deformation and fracture under different stress paths. This chapter discusses the use of polygonal blocks and also the clumping together of circular particles to create more irregular shapes, which provide more realistic simulation of brittle rock fracturing. With recent development of DEM, it is possible to imprint larger fracture sets on the background grain structure to simulate slip and opening of pre-existing fractures. This chapter also demonstrates that the representation of rock by an assembly of distinct pieces offers opportunities to simulate other phenomenon not easily considered in continuum models such as fluid flow in joints and hydraulic fracturing, and the generation of seismicity as bonds break or discontinuities slip.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DynaFrax UG, Potsdam, Germany

    Jeoung Seok Yoon

  2. Itasca Consulting Group, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Jim Hazzard

Authors
  1. Jeoung Seok Yoon
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  2. Jim Hazzard
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Correspondence to Jeoung Seok Yoon .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Mineral Resources, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Baotang Shen

  2. GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany

    Ove Stephansson

  3. School of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland

    Mikael Rinne

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Yoon, J.S., Hazzard, J. (2020). Coupled Fracture Modelling with Distinct Element Methods. In: Shen, B., Stephansson, O., Rinne, M. (eds) Modelling Rock Fracturing Processes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35525-8_10

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