Evaluation of Damage Stress Thresholds and Mechanical Properties of Granite: New Insights from Digital Image Correlation and GB-FDEM.

We employed a novel combination of digital image correlation (DIC) and grain-based hybrid finite-discrete element method (GB-FDEM) to improve the comprehension of the relationships between microstructural features and the mechanical properties of granitic rocks. DIC and numerical results showed that macrocracks initiated and propagated along grain boundaries among different minerals driven by the high stiffness contrast between the compliant biotite and the stiffer feldspar/quartz grains. Surface deformation analyses revealed that tensile-dominated macrocracks open at monotonically increased rates before the crack damage threshold, and the opening accelerated afterwards with the increased shear component. The onset of the acceleration of the opening rate of macrocracks can be used to infer the crack damage threshold. Both strain and acoustic emission were used to infer damage stress thresholds in the synthetic numerical samples. Numerical results showed that the damage stress thresholds and uniaxial compressive strength decrease with increasing grain size following log-linear relations. Coarse-grained samples tend to fail by axial splitting, while fine-grained samples fail by shear zone formation. Biotite and quartz contents significantly affect mechanical properties, while quartz to feldspar ratio is positively related to the mechanical properties. Our study demonstrates the capacities of DIC and GB-FDEM in inferring damage conditions in granitic rocks and clarifies the microstructural control of the macroscopic mechanical behaviors. Our results also provide a comprehensive understanding of the systematics of strain localization, crack development, and acoustic emission during the rock progressive failure process. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00603-024-03789-7.

An efficient 3D cell-based discrete fracture-matrix flow model for digitally captured fracture networks.

Complex hydraulic fracture networks are critical for enhancing permeability in unconventional reservoirs and mining industries. However, accurately simulating the fluid flow in realistic fracture networks (compared to the statistical fracture networks) is still challenging due to the fracture complexity and computational burden. This work proposes a simple yet efficient numerical framework for the flow simulation in fractured porous media obtained by 3D high-resolution images, aiming at both computational accuracy and efficiency. The fractured rock with complex fracture geometries is numerically constructed with a cell-based discrete fracture-matrix model (DFM) having implicit fracture apertures. The flow in the complex fractured porous media (including matrix flow, fracture flow, as well as exchange flow) is simulated with a pipe-based cell-centered finite volume method. The performance of this model is validated against analytical/numerical solutions. Then a lab-scale true triaxial hydraulically fractured shale sample is reconstructed, and the fluid flow in this realistic fracture network is simulated. Results suggest that the proposed method achieves a good balance between computational efficiency and accuracy. The complex fracture networks control the fluid flow process, and the opened natural fractures behave as primary fluid pathways. Heterogeneous and anisotropic features of fluid flow are well captured with the present model.

Hyperglycemia compromises Rat Cortical Bone by Increasing Osteocyte Lacunar Density and Decreasing Vascular Canal Volume.

Uncontrolled diabetes is associated with increased risk of bony fractures. However, the mechanisms have yet to be understood. Using high-resolution synchrotron micro-CT, we calculated the changes in the microstructure of femoral cortices of streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic (STZ) Wistar Albino rats and tested the mechanical properties of the mineralized matrix by nanoindentation. Total lacunar volume of femoral cortices increased in STZ group due to a 9% increase in lacunar density. However, total vascular canal volume decreased in STZ group due to a remarkable decrease in vascular canal diameter (7 ± 0.3 vs. 8.5 ± 0.4 µm). Osteocytic territorial matrix volume was less in the STZ group (14,908 ± 689 µm3) compared with healthy controls (16,367 ± 391 µm3). In conclusion, hyperglycemia increased cellularity and lacunar density, decreased osteocyte territorial matrix, and reduced vascular girth, in addition to decreasing matrix mechanical properties in the STZ group when compared with euglycemic controls.

Dataset for time-lapse ultrasonic tomography of a granite slab under uniaxial compression test.

This data article includes raw data for time-lapse ultrasonic tomography measurements during a uniaxial compression test. Two sets of experimental data are included: first, the ultrasonic tomography (UT) observation (i.e., waveform) data at each 20 MPa axial stress step during the uniaxial loading test; and second, the stress-strain curve of the uniaxial compression test. A numerical model based on the combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM) was used to improve the understanding of the experimental results. The model file and the simulated acoustic emission (AE) data extracted from the simulation results are also included in this article. Data sets presented in this article help to improve understanding of the progressive rock failure process at microscopic and macroscopic scales.

Rotary shear experiments under X-ray micro-computed tomography.

A rotary shear apparatus (ERDµ-T) was designed, assembled, and calibrated to study frictional behavior. We paired the apparatus with X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT) to inspect in situ and in operando deformation of the tested specimen. This technology allows us to observe how two rough surfaces interact and deform without perturbing the experimental conditions (e.g., pressure, temperature, and sample position). We performed an experiment employing an aluminum alloy sample to demonstrate the capability of the apparatus. The sample was sheared at incremental steps, and during shearing, normal force, sample shortening, torque, and shearing velocity were measured. The measurements were associated to the µCT imagery, giving a comprehensive understanding of the deformation processes of the samples. The present contribution demonstrates that the ERDµ-T allows (1) linking the variation of physical parameters to the evolution of internal structures of the sample and (2) shedding light on fracturing and frictional sliding processes in solid materials.

Numerical Simulation on Seismic Response of the Filled Joint under High Amplitude Stress Waves Using Finite-Discrete Element Method (FDEM).

This paper numerically investigates the seismic response of the filled joint under high amplitude stress waves using the combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM). A thin layer of independent polygonal particles are used to simulate the joint fillings. Each particle is meshed using the Delaunay triangulation scheme and can be crushed when the load exceeds its strength. The propagation of the 1D longitude wave through a single filled joint is studied, considering the influences of the joint thickness and the characteristics of the incident wave, such as the amplitude and frequency. The results show that the filled particles under high amplitude stress waves mainly experience three deformation stages: (i) initial compaction stage; (ii) crushing stage; and (iii) crushing and compaction stage. In the initial compaction stage and crushing and compaction stage, compaction dominates the mechanical behavior of the joint, and the particle area distribution curve varies little. In these stages, the transmission coefficient increases with the increase of the amplitude, i.e., peak particle velocity (PPV), of the incident wave. On the other hand, in the crushing stage, particle crushing plays the dominant role. The particle size distribution curve changes abruptly with the PPV due to the fragments created by the crushing process. This process consumes part of wave energy and reduces the stiffness of the filled joint. The transmission coefficient decreases with increasing PPV in this stage because of the increased amount of energy consumed by crushing. Moreover, with the increase of the frequency of the incident wave, the transmission coefficient decreases and fewer particles can be crushed. Under the same incident wave, the transmission coefficient decreases when the filled thickness increases and the filled particles become more difficult to be crushed.

A method to evaluate the three-dimensional roughness of fracture surfaces in brittle geomaterials.

Conventionally, the evaluation of fracture surface roughness in brittle geomaterials, such as concrete and rock, has been based on the measurement and analysis of two-dimensional profiles rather than three-dimensional (3D) surfaces. The primary reason for doing so was the lack of tools capable of making 3D measurements. However, in recent years, several optical and mechanical measurement tools have become available, which are capable of quickly and accurately producing high resolution point clouds defining 3D surfaces. This paper provides a methodology for evaluating the surface roughness and roughness anisotropy using these 3D surface measurements. The methodology is presented step-by-step to allow others to easily adopt and implement the process to analyze their own surface measurement data. The methodology is demonstrated by digitizing a series of concrete fracture surfaces and comparing the estimated 3D roughness parameters with qualitative observations and estimates of the well-known roughness coefficient, R(s).