Fracture void structure: implications for flow, transport and deformation

Abstract

 This review focuses on studies of flow, transport and deformation processes at a scale of a single discontinuity. The paper provides an evaluation of: (1) various methods suggested for geometrical characterization of void structure; and (2) theoretical and practical problems arising from significant differences between the actual geometry of fracture void structure and its parallel plate representation. The use of an equivalent aperture concept is shown to be seriously misleading in: (a) evaluation of flow regime, and hence selection of appropriate flow laws; (b) correlating tracer and hydraulic tests, and assessment of solute transport properties; and (c) relating hydraulic and mechanical apertures, and predicting influence of stress perturbation and deformability.