ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT: Rock is a very complex and heterogeneous material, containing structural flaws at all scales. Because of those structural flaws, deformation and failure of rock when subjected to differential compressive stresses is non-linear. To simulate the non-linear behavior of rock, mechanical crack models, that is, extensile and shear crack models have been used in several studies. In those studies, non-linear stress-strain curves and various behaviors of rock including the changes of effective elastic moduli due to crack growth were simulated. Most of the studies have mainly focused on the verification of the mechanical crack model with relatively less attempt to apply it to practical purposes such as numerical analysis for underground or slope design. In this study, the validity of mechanical crack model was checked out by simulating the non-linear behavior of rock and consequently it was applied to a practical numerical analysis, finite element analysis commonly used.

Keywords:
Upstream Oil & Gas, crack length, mechanical crack model, critical crack length, nonlinear stress-strain curve, shear crack, application, MPa, finite element analysis, Reservoir Characterization
Subjects:
Reservoir Characterization, Information Management and Systems, Reservoir geomechanics
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2000. A.A. Balkema - Permission to Distribute - American Rock Mechanics Association
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