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A three-dimensional displacement discontinuity method for crack problems in layered rocks

  • H. T. Xiao*
  • , Z. Q. Yue
  • *Corresponding author for this work
  • Shandong University of Science and Technology
  • The University of Hong Kong

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A new displacement discontinuity method (DDM) is developed for the analysis of crack problems in layered strata. This approach is based on the fundamental solution of multilayered elastic solids. The discontinuous displacements of crack surfaces are treated as unknown quantities. In developing the DDM, discontinuous elements and special functions are applied to describe the variation of discontinuous displacements. The numerical method is used to calculate the hypersingular integral in the integral equation. Then, the numerical verification shows that the present results are in very good agreement with the existing ones. Finally, the proposed method is used to analyze the square crack in layered rocks, which consist of fine-grained sandstone and mudstone. The stress intensity factors (SIFs) are obtained for different cases including uniform and non-uniform loads. The results show that the heterogeneity of layered strata exerts a clear and quantitative influence on the SIFs of the cracks in layered rocks.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)412-420
Number of pages9
JournalInternational Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences
Volume48
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • DDM
  • Displacement discontinuity method
  • Generalized Kelvin solution
  • Layered rocks
  • Square cracks
  • Stress intensity factors

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