Title
Discrete Element Simulation of Cavity Expansion in Rock
Abstract
Cavity expansion within soil or rock is an important issue in geomechanics because it often appears in geotechnical related problems. This work describes the initiation of fracture in a laboratory specimen of Berea sandstone with a cylindrical opening, modeled using the discrete element method (DEM). The effect of far-field stress and borehole size on breakdown (peak) pressure was investigated. The results demonstrated that an increase in either the far-field stress or the borehole diameter caused the peak pressure to decrease. This showed that the size effect was governed in part by both the loading conditions and borehole size.
Description
Faculty advisor: Joseph Labuz
Funding information
This research was supported by the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP).
Suggested Citation
Carney, Alyssa.
(2016).
Discrete Element Simulation of Cavity Expansion in Rock.
Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy,
https://hdl.handle.net/11299/179886.