Abstract
During the crack propagation process, the stress concentration at the crack tip continuously changes with the propagation, which will affect further crack propagation. Therefore, does the crack mode or fracture mechanism change continuously in the propagation? Since loading rate can change the mechanical properties of rocks, does it change the cracking behaviour? The property of coalescence between two pre-existing flaws and the influence of loading rate are not clear. The present research investigates the cracking process of marble specimens containing pre-existing flaws by experimental and numerical methods to answer these questions. The topography of white patches is first found to overlap the plasticity zones before cracking. The experimental results illustrate a faster dynamic increase of tensile strength of marble specimens compared to compressive strength, which also influences the dynamic cracking behaviours. The initiated crack along the flaw changes their property continuously among tensile, shear, or mixed in propagation, implying that a fault may experience multiple deformation modes in a fracturing event. The results also reveal that shear deformation dominates the whole cracking process under dynamic loadings but dominates only the pre-failure period under quasi-static loadings. The coalescence is primarily shear though the first principal stress of the initiation zone is tensile. The findings can be used to determine the stress history of a fracture or fault, including the loading rate experienced.
Article Highlights
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Rock crack property changes in cracking process, especially under dynamic loadings.
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Crack property can vary among tensile, shear, or mixed tensile-shear in propagation.
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Tensile cracks are suppressed under dynamic loadings.
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Property of coalescence under quasi-static and dynamic loadings is shear.
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Twelve modes of crack properties are summarized based on relative displacement.
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Acknowledgements
The experimental data presented in this paper is obtained from the Construction and Testing Laboratory at Nanyang Technological University. The authors sincerely appreciate the supervision of Prof. Louis N. Y. Wong and the assistance of technician Weng Kong Cheng in the SHPB test. The authors also thank the rock mechanics group led by Prof. Jian Zhao at Monash University. The work is supported by the State Key Laboratory for GeoMechanicsand Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology/China University of Mining & Technology, Beijing (SKLGDUEK2115).
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Zou, C., Maruvanchery, V., Zhao, X. et al. Change of crack mode in rock cracking process under quasi-static and dynamic loadings. Geomech. Geophys. Geo-energ. Geo-resour. 8, 20 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40948-021-00313-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40948-021-00313-x