Estimation of micromechanical strength of brittle rocks under compression

On Applicability of Some Indirect Tests for Estimation of Tensile Strength of Anisotropic Rocks

The tensile strength of rocks plays a noteworthy role in their failure mechanism, and its determination can be beneficial in optimizing the design of the rock structures. Schistose rocks due to their inherent anisotropy in different foliation directions show a diverse strength at each direction. The purpose of this work was to compare and assess the tensile strength of phyllite, which was obtai...

Numerical micromechanical modelling of brittle polycrystalline materials

A generally applicable framework for generating a nite element mesh that is based on the actual micro-structure of a material is developed. The procedure is applied to a microscopic image of a ceramic material. Special attention is paid to the modelling of the interfaces between adjoining grains. Plane strain and plane stress nite element calculations are performed. The observed e ective consta...

Numerical Studies on the Failure Process of Heterogeneous Brittle Rocks or Rock-Like Materials under Uniaxial Compression

In rocks or rock-like materials, the constituents, e.g. quartz, calcite and biotite, as well as the microdefects have considerably different mechanical properties that make such materials heterogeneous at different degrees. The failure of materials subjected to external loads is a cracking process accompanied with stress redistribution due to material heterogeneity. However, the latter cannot b...

Effect of Mineralogy on Durability and Strength of Hornfelsic Rocks under Acidic Rainfall in Urban Areas

In order to assess mineralogical composition influence on durability and strength of rocks, four samples of hornfelsic rocks were selected from southern and western parts of the city of Hamedan, west of Iran. These rock samples were subjected to mineralogical, physical and mechanical tests in the laboratory. Also, they were evaluated in 15 cycles of slake-durability testing in different pH of s...

Strength of Polycrystalline Ceramics under Shock Compression