Applications of a micro-structured brittle damage model to laboratory tests on rocks

Abstract A multiscale microstructured brittle damage model is used to describe the behavior of confined rock materials. Plane strain and triaxial tests conducted at laboratory scale are simulated in terms boundary value problems. Simulations reveal good predictive qualities macroscopic features specimens failure. The microstructures, oriented different directions, allow localization along straight lines, emerging macroscale form shear bands. material model, characterized by recursive equidistant parallel cohesive-frictional faults, fully defined six elastic inelastic constants. was originally developed a finite kinematics framework simulate dynamic materials (Pandolfi et al. J Mech Phys Solids 54:1972–2003, 2006). In linearized form, it has been extended for simulation in-field excavations (De Bellis in: Eng Geol 215:10–24, 2016). performance predicting small laboratory, object present study, never investigated. Numerical simulations show that able capture several important observed rocks, particular reduction overall stiffness increasing deterioration material, fragile ductile transition, localization, band formation, more general size-effect.