Fractured seepage is an important factor affecting the interface stability of rock mass. It is closely related to fracture properties and hydraulic conditions. In this study, the law of seepage in a single fracture surface based on modified cubic law is described, and the three-dimensional discrete element method is used to simulate the dam foundation structure of the Capulin San Pablo (Costa R...

Data on discontinuities are always necessary for design, characterization and analysis of rock structures. The time honored method of manual measurements with Brunton compass is both time consuming and often inconvenient given issues such as restricted access to measurement areas, introduction of erroneous data due to sampling difficulties and human bias, considerable safety risks since measure...

Assessment of the correlation between rock brittleness and rock fracture toughness has been the subject of extensive research works in the recent years. Unfortunately, the brittleness measurement methods have not yet been standardized, and rock fracture toughness cannot be estimated satisfactorily by the proposed indices. In the present study, statistical analyses are performed on some data col...

The volumetric expansion of freezing pore water is widely assumed to be a major cause of rock fracture in cold humid regions. Data from experiments simulating natural freezing regimes indicate that bedrock fracture results instead from ice segregation. Fracture depth and timing are also numerically simulated by coupling heat and mass transfer with a fracture model. The depth and geometry of fra...

a r t i c l e i n f o The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of filling materials (e.g., quartz sand and kaolin clay) in the interaction between a P-wave and a rock fracture. The specific fracture stiffness reflects the seismic response of a filled fracture, while the wave transmission coefficient describes P-wave transmission across the filled fracture. A series of experimental t...

We study the fracture surface of three dimensional samples through a model for quasi-static fractures known as Born Model. In particular, we consider the roughness of this fracture surface. We find for the roughness exponent a value ζ = 0.5 expected for “small length scales” in microfracturing experiments. Since this corresponds to a slow evolution for the fracture, our simulations confirm that...

The study of rock fractures is essential in evaluating stability of underground structures, understanding earthquakes, and assessing storage and transport of oil and gas in rock formations. Geophysical monitoring techniques, particularly compressional and shear wave propagation, can probe the internal structure of rock and fractures remotely and nondestructively and can provide insight into fra...

Indoor rock climbing is becoming more popular for people of all ages. Despite the tremendous interest in this competitive sport, participants are made aware of the dangers associated with participating. The authors present the first reported case of a clay-shoveler's fracture at the T1 spinous process during indoor rock climbing. They describe the management and natural history of this fracture...

Water jet technology is an effective measure by which to improve the efficiency of deep coalbed methane mining. Nevertheless, effect a water impinging on coal rock remains unclear. In this study, numerical simulation used analyze impingement drill test block, after experimental verification carried out. Next, basis that method feasible, influence factors in hole are analyzed. It concluded phase...