Numerical Simulation of Shear Behavior and Permeability Evolution of Rock Joints with Variable Roughness and Infilling Thickness

The mechanical properties and permeability evolution of sand-infilled rock joints during the shear process is an important issue in rock engineering, such as it pertains to hydraulic fractures filled with proppant. Shear can disrupt the preexisting hydraulic and mechanical equilibrium conditions, th...

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Main Authors: Jingyi Cheng, Hongwei Zhang, Zhijun Wan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-01-01
Series:Geofluids
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/1869458
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author Jingyi Cheng
Hongwei Zhang
Zhijun Wan
author_facet Jingyi Cheng
Hongwei Zhang
Zhijun Wan
author_sort Jingyi Cheng
collection DOAJ
description The mechanical properties and permeability evolution of sand-infilled rock joints during the shear process is an important issue in rock engineering, such as it pertains to hydraulic fractures filled with proppant. Shear can disrupt the preexisting hydraulic and mechanical equilibrium conditions, thus affecting fluid flow. In this study, we simulate the shear behavior of rock joints with variable roughness and sand infilling thickness using the discrete element code PFC2D. Rock joint roughness is evaluated by the joint roughness coefficient (JRC), and sand infilling thickness is evaluated by a thickness ratio (i.e., ratio of infill thickness to rock height) ranging from 0.02 to 0.20. The results show that peak shear strength decreases with the thickness ratio in a relation that can be expressed by a hyperbolic function. We also measure the permeability evolution during shearing and find that the permeability of infilled rock joints increases with both the thickness ratio and JRC.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1468-8115
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language English
publishDate 2018-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Geofluids
spelling doaj-art-647e16f47eb149eb8a53504635590de52025-02-03T06:10:53ZengWileyGeofluids1468-81151468-81232018-01-01201810.1155/2018/18694581869458Numerical Simulation of Shear Behavior and Permeability Evolution of Rock Joints with Variable Roughness and Infilling ThicknessJingyi Cheng0Hongwei Zhang1Zhijun Wan2State key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, ChinaKey Laboratory of Deep Coal Resource Mining (CUMT), Ministry of Education of China, School of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, ChinaKey Laboratory of Deep Coal Resource Mining (CUMT), Ministry of Education of China, School of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, ChinaThe mechanical properties and permeability evolution of sand-infilled rock joints during the shear process is an important issue in rock engineering, such as it pertains to hydraulic fractures filled with proppant. Shear can disrupt the preexisting hydraulic and mechanical equilibrium conditions, thus affecting fluid flow. In this study, we simulate the shear behavior of rock joints with variable roughness and sand infilling thickness using the discrete element code PFC2D. Rock joint roughness is evaluated by the joint roughness coefficient (JRC), and sand infilling thickness is evaluated by a thickness ratio (i.e., ratio of infill thickness to rock height) ranging from 0.02 to 0.20. The results show that peak shear strength decreases with the thickness ratio in a relation that can be expressed by a hyperbolic function. We also measure the permeability evolution during shearing and find that the permeability of infilled rock joints increases with both the thickness ratio and JRC.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/1869458
spellingShingle Jingyi Cheng
Hongwei Zhang
Zhijun Wan
Numerical Simulation of Shear Behavior and Permeability Evolution of Rock Joints with Variable Roughness and Infilling Thickness
Geofluids
title Numerical Simulation of Shear Behavior and Permeability Evolution of Rock Joints with Variable Roughness and Infilling Thickness
title_full Numerical Simulation of Shear Behavior and Permeability Evolution of Rock Joints with Variable Roughness and Infilling Thickness
title_fullStr Numerical Simulation of Shear Behavior and Permeability Evolution of Rock Joints with Variable Roughness and Infilling Thickness
title_full_unstemmed Numerical Simulation of Shear Behavior and Permeability Evolution of Rock Joints with Variable Roughness and Infilling Thickness
title_short Numerical Simulation of Shear Behavior and Permeability Evolution of Rock Joints with Variable Roughness and Infilling Thickness
title_sort numerical simulation of shear behavior and permeability evolution of rock joints with variable roughness and infilling thickness
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/1869458
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AT zhijunwan numericalsimulationofshearbehaviorandpermeabilityevolutionofrockjointswithvariableroughnessandinfillingthickness