Roughness of fracture surfaces in numerical models and laboratory experiments

Abstract. We investigate the influence of stress conditions during fracture formation on geometry and roughness surfaces. Rough surfaces have been generated in numerical simulations triaxial deformation experiments using discrete element method a small number laboratory limestone sandstone samples. Digital surface models rock samples fractured were produced high-resolution photogrammetry. The was analyzed terms absolute measures such as an estimated joint coefficient (JRC) its scaling properties. results show that all are self-affine but with different Hurst exponents between real Results from wide range to generate weak decrease increasing confining larger for transversely isotropic compared true conditions. Other than that, our suggest little newly formed fractures.