Mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of soft rock with different water contents under dynamic disturbance

Uniaxial compression tests and cyclic loading acoustic emission tests were conducted on 20%,40%,60%,80%,dry and saturated muddy sandstone by using a creep impact loading system to investigate the mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of soft rocks with different water contents under dynamic disturbance.The mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of muddy sandstones at different water contents were analysed.Results of experimental studies show that water is a key factor in the mechanical properties of rocks,softening them,increasing their porosity,reducing their brittleness and increasing their plasticity.Under uniaxial compression,the macroscopic damage characteristics of the muddy sandstone change from mono-bevel shear damage and‘X’type conjugate bevel shear damage to a roadway bottom-drum type damage as the water content increases.Dynamic perturbation has a strengthening effect on the mechanical properties of samples with 60%and less water content,and a weakening effect on samples with 80%and more water content,but the weakening effect is not obvious.Macroscopic damage characteristics of dry samples remain unchanged,water samples from shear damage and tensile–shear composite damage gradually transformed into cleavage damage,until saturation transformation monoclinic shear damage.The evolution of acoustic emission energy and event number is mainly divided into four stages:loading stage(Ⅰ),dynamic loading stage(Ⅱ),yield failure stage(Ⅲ),and post-peak stage(Ⅳ),the acoustic emission characteristics of the stages were different for different water contents.The characteristic value of acoustic emission key point frequency gradually decreases,and the damage degree of the specimen increases,corresponding to low water content—high main frequency—low damage and high water content—low main frequency—high damage.

Cyclic shear behavior of en-echelon joints under constant normal stiffness conditions

To reveal the mechanism of shear failure of en-echelon joints under cyclic loading,such as during earthquakes,we conducted a series of cyclic shear tests of en-echelon joints under constant normal stiffness(CNS)conditions.We analyzed the evolution of shear stress,normal stress,stress path,dilatancy characteristics,and friction coefficient and revealed the failure mechanisms of en-echelon joints at different angles.The results show that the cyclic shear behavior of the en-echelon joints is closely related to the joint angle,with the shear strength at a positive angle exceeding that at a negative angle during shear cycles.As the number of cycles increases,the shear strength decreases rapidly,and the difference between the varying angles gradually decreases.Dilation occurs in the early shear cycles(1 and 2),while contraction is the main feature in later cycles(310).The friction coefficient decreases with the number of cycles and exhibits a more significant sensitivity to joint angles than shear cycles.The joint angle determines the asperities on the rupture surfaces and the block size,and thus determines the subsequent shear failure mode(block crushing and asperity degradation).At positive angles,block size is more greater and asperities on the rupture surface are smaller than at nonpositive angles.Therefore,the cyclic shear behavior is controlled by block crushing at positive angles and asperity degradation at negative angles.

A new deformable cable for rock support in high stress tunnel:Steel pipe shrinkable energy-absorbing cable

High stress in surrounding rock will lead to serious problems,e.g.,rock burst in hard rock and large deformation in soft rock.The applied support system under high in-situ stress conditions should be able to carry high load and also accommodate large deformation without experiencing severe damage.In this paper,a specially designed energy-absorbing component for rock bolt and cable that can solve the above problems was proposed.The energy-absorbing component can provide support resistance by plastic deformation of the metal including constraint annulus and compression pipe.For practical engineering,two forms were proposed.One was installed in the surrounding rock by reaming,and the other was installed directly outside the surrounding rock.During the dilation of the surrounding rock,the relative displacement of constraint annulus and compression pipe occurs,resulting in deformation resistance.Deformation resistance is transmitted to the rock bolt or cable,providing support resistance.The lab test and numerical simulation showed that the energy-absorbing component can perfectly achieve the large deformation effect,the deformation amount is as high as 694 mm,and the bearing capacity is stable at 367 kN.The field application tests were carried out in the mining roadway of Xinjulong coal mine,and the results showed that the new type of cable can ensure itself not to break under the condition of large deformation of the surrounding rock.The energy-absorbing component has the superiorities of performing large constant resistance and controllable deformation to effectively control the unpredictable disasters such as large deformation in soft rock and rock burst in hard rock encountered in deep strata.

Effect of shear-induced contact area and aperture variations on nonlinear flow behaviors in fractal rock fractures

This study experimentally analyzes the nonlinear flow characteristics and channelization of fluid through rough-walled fractures during the shear process using a shear-flow-visualization apparatus.A series of fluid flow and visualization tests is performed on four transparent fracture specimens with various shear displacements of 1 mm,3 mm,5 mm,7 mm and 10 mm under a normal stress of 0.5 MPa.Four granite fractures with different roughnesses are selected and quantified using variogram fractal dimensions.The obtained results show that the critical Reynolds number tends to increase with increasing shear displacement but decrease with increasing roughness of fracture surface.The flow paths are more tortuous at the beginning of shear because of the wide distribution of small contact spots.As the shear displacement continues to increase,preferential flow paths are more distinctly observed due to the decrease in the number of contact spots caused by shear dilation;yet the area of single contacts in-creases.Based on the experimental results,an empirical mathematical equation is proposed to quantify the critical Reynolds number using the contact area ratio and fractal dimension.

Permeability evolution and gas flow in wet coal under non-equilibrium state:Considering both water swelling and process-based gas swelling

Accurate knowledge of gas flow within the reservoir and related controlling factors will be important for enhancing the production of coal bed methane.At present,most studies focused on the permeability evolution of dry coal under gas adsorption equilibrium,gas flow and gas diffusion within wet coal under the generally non-equilibrium state are often ignored in the process of gas recovery.In this study,an improved apparent permeability model is proposed which accommodates the water and gas adsorption,stress dependence,water film thickness and gas flow regimes.In the process of modeling,the water adsorption is only affected by water content while the gas adsorption is time and water content dependent;based on poroelastic mechanics,the effective fracture aperture and effective pore radius are derived;and then the variation in water film thickness for different pore types under the effect of water content,stress and adsorption swelling are modeled;the flow regimes are considered based on Beskok’s model.Further,after validation with experimental data,the proposed model was applied to numerical simulations to investigate the evolution of permeability-related factors under the effect of different water contents.The gas flow in wet coal under the non-equilibrium state is explicitly revealed.

Shear behaviours and roughness degeneration based on a quantified rock joint surface description

The asperity wear of rock joints significantly affects their shear behaviour.This study discusses the wear damage of the asperities on the joint surface,highlighting the roughness degradation characteristics during the shear process.The direct shear experiment of artificial specimens containing rock joints was conducted under different normal stresses based on three-dimensional scanning technology.These experimental results showed the contribution of joint wear to roughness degeneration,such as the height,zone,and volume of asperity degeneration.The wear coefficient of the rock joint was obtained based on the volume wear of asperities in the laboratory experiment.The functional relationship between the friction coefficient and wear coefficient is subsequently determined.To quantitatively analyse the wear damage of a joint surface,a calculation method for determining the wear depth of the rock joint after shearing was proposed based on wear theory.The relationship between the ultimate dilation and wear depth was analysed.A coefficient m,which can describe the damage degree of the joint surface,and a prediction method of joint surface roughness after shearing are established.Good agreement between analytical predictions and measured values demonstrates the capability of the developed model.Lastly,the sensitivity factors on the wear depth are explored.

Mountain tunnel under earthquake force:A review of possible causes of damages and restoration methods

Accurate seismic assessment and proper aseismic design of underground structures require a comprehensive understanding of seismic performance and response of underground structures under earthquake force.In order to understand the seismic behavior of tunnels during an earthquake,a wide collection of case histories has been reviewed from the available literature with respect to damage classification,to discuss the possible causes of damage,such as earthquake parameters,structural form and geological conditions.In addition,a case of Tawarayama tunnel subjected to the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake is studied.Discussion on the possible influence factors aims at improving the performancebased aseismic design of tunnels.Finally,restoration design criterion and methods are presented taking Tawarayama tunnel as an example.

Anisotropic surface roughness and shear behaviors of rough-walled plaster joints under constant normal load and constant normal stiffness conditions

In this context,we experimentally studied the anisotropic mechanical behaviors of rough-walled plaster joints using a servo-controlled direct shear apparatus under both constant normal load(CNL)and constant normal stiffness(CNS)conditions.The shear-induced variations in the normal displacement,shear stress,normal stress and sheared-off asperity mass are analyzed and correlated with the inclination angle of the critical waviness of joint surfaces.The results show that CNS condition gives rise to a smaller normal displacement due to the larger normal stress during shearing,compared with CNL condition.Under CNL conditions,there is one peak shear stress during shearing,whereas there are no peak shear stress for some cases and two peaks for other cases under CNS conditions depending on the geometry of joint surfaces.The inclination angle of the critical waviness has been verified to be capable of describing the joint surface roughness and anisotropy.The joint surface is more significantly damaged under CNS conditions than that under CNL conditions.With increment of the inclination angle of the critical waviness,both the normal displaceme nt and shea red-off asperity mass increase,following power law functions;yet the coefficient of deternination under CNL conditions is larger than that under CNS conditions.This is because the CNS condition significantly decreases the inclination angle of the critical waviness during shearing due to the larger degree of asperity degradation.

An improved apparent permeability model considering full pore pressure range,variable intrinsic permeability and slippage coefficient

Although the slippage effect has been extensively studied,most of the previous studies focused on the impact of the slippage effect on apparent permeability within a low pore pressure range,resulting in the inability of matching the evolution of permeability in the remaining pressure range.In this paper,a new apparent permeability model that reveals the evolution of permeability under the combined action of effective stress and slippage in the full pore pressure range was proposed.In this model,both intrinsic permeability and slippage coefficient are stress dependent.Three experimental tests with pore pressure lower than 2 MPa and a test with pore pressure at about 10 MPa using cores from the same origin under constant confining stress and constant effective stress are conducted.By comparing experimental data and another apparent permeability model,we proved the fidelity of our newly developed model.Furthermore,the contribution factor of the slippage effect Rslip is used to determine the low pore pressure limit with significant slippage effect.Our results show that both narrow initial pore size and high effective stress increase the critical pore pressure.Finally,the evolutions of the slippage coefficient and the intrinsic permeability under different boundary conditions were analyzed.

Three-dimensional double-rough-walled modeling of fluid flow through self-affine shear fractures

This study proposes a double-rough-walled fracture model to represent the natural geometries of rough fractures.The rough surface is generated using a modified successive random additions(SRA)algorithm and the aperture distribution during shearing is calculated using a mechanistic model.The shear-flow simulations are performed by directly solving the Navier-Stokes(NS)equations.The results show that the double-rough-walled fracture model can improve the accuracy of fluid flow simulations by approximately 14.99%-19.77%,compared with the commonly used single-rough-walled fracture model.The ratio of flow rate to hydraulic gradient increases by one order of magnitude for fluids in a linear flow regime with increment of shear displacement from 2.2 mm to 2.6 mm.By solving the NS equations,the inertial effect is taken into account and the significant eddies are simulated and numerically visualized,which are not easy to be captured in conventional experiments.The anisotropy of fluid flow in the linear regime during shearing is robustly enhanced as the shearing advances;however,it is either increased or decreased for fluids in the nonlinear flow regime,depending on the geometry of shear-induced void spaces between the two rough walls of the fracture.The present study provides a method to represent the real geometry of fractures during shearing and to simulate fluid flow by directly solving the NS equations,which can be potentially utilized in many applications such as heat and mass transfer,contaminant transport,and coupled hydro-thermo-mechanical processes within rock fractures/fracture networks.

Computational implementation of a GIS developed tool for prediction of dynamic ground movement and deformation due to underground extraction sequence

In the last century, there has been a significant development in the evaluation of methods to predict ground movement due to underground extraction. Some remarkable developments in three-dimensional computational methods have been supported in civil engineering, subsidence engineering and mining engineering practice. However, ground movement problem due to mining extraction sequence is effectively four dimensional （4D）. A rational prediction is getting more and more important for long-term underground mining planning. Hence, computer-based analytical methods that realistically simulate spatially distributed time-dependent ground movement process are needed for the reliable long-term underground mining planning to minimize the surface environmental damages. In this research, a new computational system is developed to simulate four-dimensional （4D） ground movement by combining a stochastic medium theory, Knothe time-delay model and geographic information system （GIS） technology. All the calculations are implemented by a computational program, in which the components of GIS are used to fulfill the spatial-temporal analysis model. In this paper a tight coupling strategy based on component object model of GIS technology is used to overcome the problems of complex three-dimensional extraction model and spatial data integration. Moreover, the implementation of computational of the interfaces of the developed tool is described. The GIS based developed tool is validated by two study cases. The developed computational tool and models are achieved within the GIS system so the effective and efficient calculation methodology can be obtained, so the simulation problems of 4D ground movement due to underground mining extraction sequence can be solved by implementation of the developed tool in GIS.

Studies on the key parameters in segmental lining design

The uniform ring model and the shell-spring model for segmental lining design are reviewed in thisarticle. The former is the most promising means to reflect the real behavior of segmental lining, while thelatter is the most popular means in practice due to its simplicity. To understand the relationship and thedifference between these two models, both of them are applied to the engineering practice of FuzhouMetro Line I, where the key parameters used in both models are described and compared. The effectiveratio of bending rigidity h reflecting the relative stiffness between segmental lining and surroundingground and the transfer ratio of bending moment x reflecting the relative stiffness between segment andjoint, which are two key parameters used in the uniform ring model, are especially emphasized. Thereasonable values for these two key parameters are calibrated by comparing the bending momentscalculated from both two models. Through case studies, it is concluded that the effective ratio of bendingrigidity h increases significantly with good soil properties, increases slightly with increasing overburden,and decreases slightly with increasing water head. Meanwhile, the transfer ratio of bending moment xseems to only relate to the properties of segmental lining itself and has a minor relation with the groundconditions. These results could facilitate the design practice for Fuzhou Metro Line I, and could alsoprovide some references to other projects with respect to similar scenarios.

Nonlinear fluid flow through three-dimensional rough fracture networks:Insights from 3D-printing,CT-scanning,and high-resolution numerical simulations

Nonlinear flow behavior of fluids through three-dimensional(3D)discrete fracture networks(DFNs)considering effects of fracture number,surface roughness and fracture aperture was experimentally and numerically investigated.Three physical models of DFNs were 3D-printed and then computed tomography(CT)-scanned to obtain the specific geometry of fractures.The validity of numerically simulating the fluid flow through DFNs was verified via comparison with flow tests on the 3D-printed models.A parametric study was then implemented to establish quantitative relations between the coefficients/parameters in Forchheimer’s law and geometrical parameters.The results showed that the 3D-printing technique can well reproduce the geometry of single fractures with less precision when preparing complex fracture networks,numerical modeling precision of which can be improved via CT-scanning as evidenced by the well fitted results between fluid flow tests and numerical simulations using CT-scanned digital models.Streamlines in DFNs become increasingly tortuous as the fracture number and roughness increase,resulting in stronger inertial effects and greater curvatures of hydraulic pressure-low rate relations,which can be well characterized by the Forchheimer’s law.The critical hydraulic gradient for the onset of nonlinear flow decreases with the increasing aperture,fracture number and roughness,following a power function.The increases in fracture aperture and number provide more paths for fluid flow,increasing both the viscous and inertial permeabilities.The value of the inertial permeability is approximately four orders of magnitude greater than the viscous permeability,following a power function with an exponent a of 3,and a proportional coefficient b mathematically correlated with the geometrical parameters.

Effect of Hole Density and Confining Pressure on Mechanical Behavior of Porous Specimens:An Insight from Discrete Element Modeling

Hole-like defects are very common in natural rock or coal mass,and play an important role in the failure and mechanical behaviors of rock or coal mass.In this research,multi-holed coal specimens are constructed numerically and calibrated based on UDEC-GBM models.Then,the strength,deformation and failure behavior of the porous specimens are analyzed,with consideration of hole density(P)and confining pressure(σ_(3)).The simulation results are highly consistent with those available experiment results,and show that the compressive strength decreases exponentially with the increasing hole density.The strength loss is mainly caused by the reduction of cohesion when P<P_(cr)(critical hole density)and the reduction of frictional angle when P>P_(cr).Also,the increasing hole density linearly reduces the tangent and secant modulus and causes greater nonlinear deformation of multi-holed specimens.Finally,the failure patterns,coalescence mechanism and damage behavior of the multi-holed specimens are revealed based on the analysis of mesoscopic displacement fields and stress distribution around holes.This research promotes a better understanding of the effects of hole density and confining pressure on the failure and mechanical behavior of porous geomaterials.

Research progress and prospect of interaction between rock engineering and geo-environments

In recent years, a large number of geotechnical engineering projectshave been completed or under construction in China, such asthe Three Gorges Dam Project, Expressway Network Plan, South-to-North Water Diversion Project, West-to-East Gas Pipeline Project,etc. （Wang, 2003; Li, 2010; Huang, 2011; She and Lin, 2014）. Theconstruction of large-scale geotechnical engineering not onlybrings huge economic benefits, but also causes large interferenceto the lithosphere and hydrosphere that we rely on for survival（Wang et al., 2005）. This paper focuses on the interaction mechanismof rock engineering and geo-environments in the fields of urbanunderground space utilization, natural gas hydrate exploitationand high-level radioactive waste disposal.

Introduction to the Special Issue on Modeling and Simulation of Fluid Flows in Fractured PorousMedia:Current Trends and Prospects

Understanding the fluid flow mechanisms in fractured porous media plays an important role in many engineering activities,such as nuclear waste disposal,geothermal energy extraction,oil and natural gas production,as well as performance and safety of underground projects including coal mines and tunnels.In recent years,many methods including numerical simulation,laboratory experiment and theoretical analysis have been employed to investigate the flowing process and permeability response of rock mass and rock fractures,from kilometer scale to microscale.However,the rocks/coals are in deep underground that is very complex and exists some uncertainties.

Evaluation of Dynamic Behavior of Bedrock Foundation Based on FEM and DEM Simulations

The seismic behavior of the bedrock foundation during earthquakes concerns the stability and safety of nuclear power plants. Discontinuities like joints and faults existing in rock masses affect significantly the dynamic behavior of bedrock. The dynamic FEM （finite element method） has been commonly utilized to analyze the seismic responses of bedrock, however, it cannot well represent the large deformation behavior of discontinuities. The DEM （distinct element method） has a better capability of simulating the sliding and separation of discontinuities existing in the bedrock, which influence the propagation of seismic waves. In this study, the dynamic FEM and DEM simulations were carried out to investigate the seismic behavior of the bedrock foundation under a nuclear power plant, and the differences between those two methods were illuminated. Numerical simulation results indicate that the FEM underestimates the attenuation effect of faults on the propagation of seismic waves. With the capability of simulating large deformation behavior of discontinuities, the DEM can be regarded as a better method for studying the seismic responses of bedrock foundation which contains discontinuities.

Effects of joint persistence and testing conditions on cyclic shear behavior of en-echelon joints under CNS conditions

Cyclic shear tests on rock joints serve as a practical strategy for understanding the shear behavior of jointed rock masses under seismic conditions.We explored the cyclic shear behavior of en-echelon and how joint persistence and test conditions(initial normal stress,normal stiffness,shear velocity,and cyclic distance)influence it through cyclic shear tests under CNS conditions.The results revealed a through-going shear zone induced by cyclic loads,characterized by abrasive rupture surfaces and brecciated material.Key findings included that increased joint persistence enlarged and smoothened the shear zone,while increased initial normal stress and cyclic distance,and decreased normal stiffness and shear velocity,diminished and roughened the brecciated material.Shear strength decreased across shear cycles,with the most significant reduction in the initial shear cycle.After ten cycles,the shear strength damage factor D varied from 0.785 to 0.909.Shear strength degradation was particularly sensitive to normal stiffness and cyclic distance.Low joint persistence,high initial normal stress,high normal stiffness,slow shear velocity,and large cyclic distance were the most destabilizing combinations.Cyclic loads significantly compressed en-echelon joints,with compressibility highly dependent on normal stress and stiffness.The frictional coefficient initially declined and then increased under a rising cycle number.This work provides crucial insights for understanding and predicting the mechanical response of en-echelon joints under seismic conditions.

Experimental study on failure mechanism of soft rock-coal bodies in abandoned mines under cyclic dynamic loading

During the construction and operation of a pumped storage power station in an abandoned mine,the soft rockcoal body structure,comprising the roof and the residual coal pillars,encounters a complex stress environment characterized by cyclic loads.The study of its failure mechanism under cyclic dynamic loading holds significant theoretical and practical importance to stay the safety and stability of the abandoned mine pumped storage power station.In this paper,we take“roof-residual coal pillar”soft rock-coal combinations with different percentages of rock as the research object,and study their mechanical properties,failure mechanism,energy evolution characteristics and acoustic emission distribution characteristics through cyclic dynamic loading experiments.The results of the experiment indicate that:(1)Both weak cyclic dynamic loading and high rock percentage enhance the deformation resistance of soft rock-coal combinations.Under low-disturbance horizontal cyclic loading,its peak strength and modulus of elasticity increase with increasing rock percentage.(2)Under low-disturbance horizontal cyclic loading,an increasing trend is observed in the average total strain energy density,dissipation energy density,and elastic energy density of the combinations as the percentage of rock increases.(3)Under lowdisturbance horizontal cyclic loading,as the percentage of rock increases in the soft rock-coal combinations,the degree of failure in the rock body part progressively intensifies,while the destruction of the coal portion progressively decreases.(4)The large number of acoustic emission signals are generated at the instant of destabilization and destruction of the coal-rock combinations,mainly dominated by the signals generated by the destruction of the coal body.Acoustic emission counts and absolute energy at key point N2 decrease as the percentage of rock increases.The b value is primarily distributed in the cyclic dynamic loading stage and the failure stage,both displaying zones of sudden increase and sudden decrease in b value.

Theoretical framework for stress relief-support reinforcement cooperative control of rock bursts in deep coal mining

With the increasing depth of coal mining each year,rock burst has emerged as one of the most severe dynamic disasters in deep mining.The research status of rock burst prevention and control theory is summarized.Focused on deep coal mining,the major issues encountered in researching the prevention theory of rock bursts are summarized.Subsequently,the scientific connotation theory of stress relief-support reinforcement cooperative prevention and control of rock bursts in deep coal mines is proposed.Then,the mechanisms underlying the major research directions of the theory of stress relief-support reinforcement coordinated prevention and control and present a preliminarily theoretical framework for stress relief-support reinforcement coordinated prevention and control are outlined.To tackle the key scientific problems in the coordinated prevention and control of rock bursts on relief and support in deep mine,the in-depth research based on the synergetic theory is conducted.This involved exploring the principles of near-field coal mass stress relief,near-field roof andfloor stress relief,and anchor support.Additionally,the stress-energy evolution processes of the roadway near-field surrounding rock structure under various stress relief and anchor support modes be analyzed.Subsequently,a mechanical model for the optimized matching of stress relief surrounding rock and anchor support is established,with the control of the rock burst energy source at its core.Finally,the principle of collaborative prevention and control of deep mining rock burst stress relief and support from the perspectives of structural synergy,strength synergy,and stiffness synergy is elucidated.This insight is expected to provide theoretical support for the research and development of designs and techniques for deep mining rock burst prevention and control.