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...

Over the past fewdecades, significant progress of assessing chemical transport in fractured rocks has been made in laboratory and field investigations as well as in mathematic modeling. In most of these studies, however, matrix diffusion on fracture–matrix surfaces is considered as a process of molecular diffusion only. Mathematical modeling based on this traditional concept often had problems ...

In this paper, configurations of pre-existing fractures in cubic rock blocks were investigated and reconstructed for the modeling of experimental hydraulic fracturing. The fluid-rock coupling process of hydraulic fracturing was simulated based on the displacement discontinuities method. The numerical model was validated against the related laboratory experiments. The stimulated fracture configu...

This study outlines a new method for disposing of hazardous (e.g., nuclear) waste. The technique is called Abyssal Sequestration, and it involves placing the waste at extreme depths in Earth’s crust where it could achieve the geologically long period of isolation. Abyssal Sequestration involves storing the waste in hydraulic fractures driven by gravity, a process we term as gravity fracturing. ...

Three-dimensional surface geometry of rock discontinuities and its evolution with shearing are of great importance in understanding the deformability and hydro-mechanical behavior of rock masses. In the present research, surfaces of three natural rock fractures were digitized and studied before and after the direct shear test. The variography analysis of the surfaces indicated a strong non-line...

The prediction of rock mass behavior is an important task in many engineering projects, as the behavior of rock masses can be controlled by the presence of discontinuities. Being able to map the structure of a rock mass is crucial to understanding its potential behavior. This understanding can positively impact the safety and efficiency of an engineering project. In this research, rock masses w...

a r t i c l e i n f o The existence of vugs or cavities in naturally fractured reservoirs has long been observed. Even though these vugs are known for their large attribution to reserves of oil, natural gas, or groundwater, few quantitative investigations of fractured vuggy reservoirs have been conducted. In this paper, a multiple-continuum conceptual model is presented, based on geological dat...