Modeling the Effect of Disorder on the Compressive Strength of Rock

ABSTRACT: We have used a field theory model to simulate the effect of microscale heterogeneity in grain strength, and stress concentration due to grain shape and loading geometry, on the stress-strain behavior and ultimate strength of rock in compression. A brief description of the model is presented and results of a series of simulations are presented. Ultimate strength for uniaxial conditions had a strong inverse dependence on the geometric parameter but was independent of the width of the site strength distribution and may instead depend on the mean of the strength distribution. Ultimate strength was higher for confined simulations, and was inversely dependent on the range of the geometric parameter, However, an increase in ultimate strength with increasing width of site strength distribution was observed for some ranges of the geometric parameter.