Stress tensor determination by modified hydraulic tests on pre-existing fractures:Method and stress constraints

The hydraulic testing of pre-existing fractures(HTPF)is one of the most promising in situ stress measurement methods,particularly for three-dimensional stress tensor determination.However,the stress tensor determination based on the HTPF method requires at least six tests or a minimum of 14-15 tests(under different conditions)for reliable results.In this study,we modified the HTPF method by considering the shear stress on each pre-existing fracture,which increased the number of equations for the stress tensor determination and decreased the number of tests required.Different shear stresses were attributed to different fractures by random sampling;therefore,the stress tensors were obtained by searching for the optimal solution using the least squares criterion based on the Monte Carlo method.Thereafter,we constrained the stress tensor based on the tensile strength criterion,compressive strength criterion,and vertical stress constraints.The inverted stress tensors were presented and analyzed based on the tensorial nature of the stress using the Euclidean mean stress tensor.Two stress-measurement campaigns in Weifang(Shandong Province,China)and Mercantour road tunnel(France)were implemented to highlight the validity and efficiency of the modified HTPF(M-HTPF)method.The results showed that the M-HTPF method can be applied for stress tensor inversion using only three to four tests on pre-existing fractures,neglecting the stress gradient.The inversion results were confined to relatively small distribution dispersions and were significantly reliable and stable due to the shear stresses on the fractures and the stress constraints employed.The M-HTPF method is highly feasible and efficient for complete stress tensor determination in a single borehole.

Fracture network types revealed by well test curves for shale reservoirs in the Sichuan Basin,China

Pressure buildup testing can be used to analyze fracture network characteristics and conduct quantitative interpretation of relevant parameters for shale gas wells,thus providing bases for assessing the well productivity and formulating proper development strategies.This study establishes a new well test interpretation model for fractured horizontal wells based on seepage mechanisms of shale reservoirs and proposes a method for identifying fracturing patterns based on the characteristic slopes of pressure buildup curves and curve combination patterns.The pressure buildup curve patterns are identified to represent three types of shale reservoirs in the Sichuan Basin,namely the moderately deep shale reservoirs with high pressure,deep shale reservoirs with ultra-high pressure,and moderately deep shale reservoirs with normal pressure.Based on this,the relationship between the typical pressure buildup curve patterns and the fracture network types are put forward.Fracturing effects of three types of shale gas reservoir are compared and analyzed.The results show that typical flow patterns of shale reservoirs include bilinear flow in primary and secondary fractures,linear flow in secondary fractures,bilinear flow in secondary fractures and matrix,and linear flow in matrix.The fracture network characteristics can be determined using the characteristic slopes of pressure buildup curves and curve combinations.The linear flow in early secondary fractures is increasingly distinct with an increase in primary fracture conductivity.Moreover,the bilinear flow in secondary fractures and matrix and the subsequent linear flow in the matrix occur as the propping and density of secondary fractures increase.The increase in the burial depth,in-situ stress,and stress difference corresponds to a decrease in the propping of primary fractures that expand along different directions in the shale gas wells in the Sichuan Basin.Four pressure buildup curve patterns exist in the Sichuan Basin and its periphery.The pattern of pressure buildup curves of shale reservoirs in the Yongchuan area can be described as 1/2/→1/4,indicating limited stimulated reservoir volume,poorly propped secondary fractures,and the forming of primary fractures that extend only to certain directions.The pressure buildup curves of shale reservoirs in the main block of the Fuling area show a pattern of 1/4/→1/2 or 1/2,indicating greater stimulated reservoir volume,well propped secondary fractures,and the forming of complex fracture networks.The pattern of pressure buildup curves of shale reservoirs in the Pingqiao area is 1/2/→1/4→/1/2,indicating a fracturing effect somewhere between that of the Fuling and Yongchuan areas.For reservoirs with normal pressure,it is difficult to determine fracture network characteristics from pressure buildup curves due to insufficient formation energy and limited liquid drainage.

Microdynamic mechanical properties and fracture evolution mechanism of monzogabbro with a true triaxial multilevel disturbance method

The far-field microdynamic disturbance caused by the excavation of deep mineral resources and underground engineering can induce surrounding rock damage in high-stress conditions and even lead to disasters.However,the mechanical properties and damage/fracture evolution mechanisms of deep rock induced by microdynamic disturbance under three-dimensional stress states are unclear.Therefore,a true triaxial multilevel disturbance test method is proposed,which can completely simulate natural geostress,excavation stress redistribution(such as stress unloading,concentration and rotation),and subsequently the microdynamic disturbance triggering damaged rock failure.Based on a dynamic true triaxial test platform,true triaxial microdynamic disturbance tests under different frequency and amplitudes were carried out on monzogabbro.The results show that increasing amplitude or decreasing frequency diminishes the failure strength of monzogabbro.Deformation modulus gradually decreases during disturbance failure.As frequency and amplitude increase,the degradation rate of deformation modulus decreases slightly,disturbance dissipated energy increases significantly,and disturbance deformation anisotropy strengthens obviously.A damage model has been proposed to quantitatively characterize the disturbance-induced damage evolution at different frequency and amplitude under true triaxial stress.Before disturbance failure,the micro-tensile crack mechanism is dominant,and the micro-shear crack mechanism increases significantly at failure.With the increase of amplitude and frequency,the micro-shear crack mechanism increases.When approaching disturbance failure,the acoustic emission fractal dimension changes from a stable value to local large oscillation,and finally increases sharply to a high value at failure.Finally,the disturbance-induced failure mechanism of surrounding rock in deep engineering is clearly elucidated.

Numerical simulation study on shear resistance of anchorage joints considering tensile-shear fracture criterion of 2G-NPR bolt

2G-NPR bolt (the 2nd generation Negative Poisson’s Ratio bolt) is a new type of bolt with high strength, high toughness and no yield platform. It has signifcant efects on improving the shear strength of jointed rock mass and controlling the stability of surrounding rock. To achieve an accurate simulation of bolted joint shear tests, we have studied a numerical simulation method that takes into account the 2G-NPR bolt's tensile–shear fracture criterion. Firstly, the indoor experimental study on the tensile–shear mechanical properties of 2G-NPR bolt is carried out to explore its mechanical properties under diferent tensile–shear angles, and the fracture criterion of 2G-NPR bolt considering the tensile–shear angle is established. Then, a three-dimensional numerical simulation method considering the tensile–shear mechanical constitutive and fracture criterion of 2G-NPR bolt, the elastoplastic mechanical behavior of surrounding rock and the damage and deterioration of grouting body is proposed. The feasibility and accuracy of the method are verifed by comparing with the indoor shear test results of 2G-NPR bolt anchorage joints. Finally, based on the numerical simulation results, the deformation and stress of the bolt, the distribution of the plastic zone of the rock mass, the stress distribution and the damage of the grouting body are analyzed in detail. The research results can provide a good reference value for the practical engineering application and shear mechanical performance analysis of 2G-NPR bolt.

Regulation of Pore Structure and Hightemperature Fracture Behavior of CACbonded Alumina-Spinel Castables Based on Hydration Design

The lamellar hydrates of CAC were designed with the introduction of nano CaCO_(3)or Mg-Al hydrotalcite(M-A-H),and the effects on the green strength,pore structures,and high-temperature fracture behavior of alumina-spinel castables were investigated.The results show that nano CaCO_(3)or M-A-H stimulates rapidly the hydration of CAC and the formation of lamellar C_(4)AcH_(11)or coexistence of C_(2)AH_(8)and C_(4)AcH_(11)at 25℃.The formation of lamellar hydrates can contribute to a more complicated pore structure,especially in the range of 400-2000 nm.Meanwhile,the incorporation of well-distributed CaO or MgO sources from nano CaCO_(3)or M-A-H also regulates the distribution of CA_(6)and spinel(pre-formed and in-situ).Consequently,the optimized microstructure and complicated pore structure can induce the deflection and bridging of cracks,thus facilitating the consumption of fracture energy and enhancing the resistance to thermal stress damage.

Diagnostic accuracy of the tongue blade test combined with clinical signs to detect maxillary and mandibular fractures in the emergency department

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of clinical signs combined with the tongue blade test(TBT) to detect maxillary and mandibular fractures.METHODS: A cross-sectional study enrolled patients with maxillary and mandibular injuries in the emergency department. Physical examination and the TBT were performed, followed by radiological imaging(facial X-ray or computed tomography [CT]). The diagnostic accuracy was calculated for individuals and a combination of clinical findings at predicting maxillary and mandibular fractures.RESULTS: A total of 98 patients were identified, of whom 31.6% had maxillary fractures and9.2% had mandibular fractures. The combination of malocclusion, tenderness on palpation and swelling with positive TBT had 100% specificity to detect maxillary and mandibular fractures. In the absence of malocclusion, the combination of tenderness on palpation and swelling with positive TBT produced a specificity of 97.8% for maxillary fracture and a specificity of 96.2% for mandibular fracture. A clinical decision tool consisting of malocclusion, tenderness on palpation, swelling and TBT revealed a specificity of 100% and a positive predictive value of 100%.CONCLUSION: The clinical decision tool is potentially useful to rule out mandibular fractures,thus preventing unnecessary radiation exposure.

Mechanism and Method of Testing Fracture Toughness and Impact Absorbed Energy of Ductile Metals by Spherical Indentation Tests

To address the problem of conventional approaches for mechanical property determination requiring destructive sampling, which may be unsuitable for in-service structures, the authors proposed a method for determining the quasi-static fracture toughness and impact absorbed energy of ductile metals from spherical indentation tests (SITs). The stress status and damage mechanism of SIT, mode I fracture, Charpy impact tests, and related tests were frst investigated through fnite element (FE) calculations and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, respectively. It was found that the damage mechanism of SITs is diferent from that of mode I fractures, while mode I fractures and Charpy impact tests share the same damage mechanism. Considering the diference between SIT and mode I fractures, uniaxial tension and pure shear were introduced to correlate SIT with mode I fractures. Based on this, the widely used critical indentation energy (CIE) model for fracture toughness determination using SITs was modifed. The quasi-static fracture toughness determined from the modifed CIE model was used to evaluate the impact absorbed energy using the dynamic fracture toughness and energy for crack initiation. The efectiveness of the newly proposed method was verifed through experiments on four types of steels: Q345R, SA508-3, 18MnMoNbR, and S30408.

Virtual fracture test of asphalt mixture based on discrete element method

In order to study fracture behaviors of asphalt mixtures, virtual tests of the two-dimensional（2D） microstructure based on the discrete element method（ DEM） are designed. The virtual structure of the 2D digital specimen of asphalt mixture is generated based on a particle generation program, in which the gradation and the irregular shapes of aggregates are considered. With the 2D digital specimens, a DEM-based mixture model is established and center-point beam fracture simulation tests are conducted by the DEM. Meanwhile, a series of calibration tests are carried out in laboratory to evaluate the DEM model and validate the methods of virtual fracture tests. The test results indicate that the fracture intensity of asphalt mixtures predicted by the DEM matches very well with the intensity obtained in laboratory. It is concluded that the microstructural virtual tests can be used as a supplemental tool to evaluate fracture properties of asphalt mixtures.

Dynamic fracture of Ti-6Al-4V alloy in Taylor impact test

The dynamic fracture behaviors of Ti-6Al-4V alloy at high strain rate loading were investigated systemically through Taylor impact test, over the range of impact velocities from 145 m/s to 306 m/s. The critical impact velocity of fracture ranges from 217 m/s to 236 m/s. Smooth surfaces and ductile dimple areas were observed on the fracture surfaces. As the impact velocity reached 260 m/s, the serious melting regions were also observed on the fracture surfaces. Self-organization of cracks emerges when the impact velocity reaches 260 m/s, while some special cracks whose ＂tips＂ are not sharp but arc and smooth, and without any evidence of deformation or adiabatic shear band were also observed on the impact end surfaces. Examination of the sections of these special cracks reveals that the cracks expand along the two maximum shear stress directions respectively, and finally intersect as a tridimensional ＂stagger ridge＂ structure.

Development of overlay tester for fracture test of asphalt mixture

To determine the fracture characteristics of asphalt mixture a novel fracture test with modified loading modes loading fixtures and the control system of the conventional overlay tester is implemented by the asphalt material performance tester AMPT .In order to evaluate the validity of the proposed fracture test four different loading rates including 1 2 3 and 4 mm/min are examined in the AMPT. The results indicate that the fracture behavior is similar to creep at a low loading rate and does not show significant marginal tail extension at a high loading rate.It clearly shows the phase of crack initiation crack propagation and fracture at a loading rate of 3 mm/min. Besides eight fracture parameters such as fracture energy tensile strength and tensile modulus are applied to evaluate the fracture characteristics of asphalt mixture.Development of the overlay tester for the fracture test of asphalt mixture can be considered as a new fracture test of asphalt mixture.

The influence of multi-metal-veins on fractures propagation investigated by the experiment and simulation

Fracture propagation is affected by multi-metal-veins formed by geological diagenesis in shale during the hydraulic fracturing.However,the influence of multi-metal-veins on fractures propagation remains unclear.To solve the problem,based on the semi-circle bending(SCB)test and the extended finite element(XFEM)theory,the interaction between multi-metal-veins and fractures is investigated.The experimental results reveal that the fractures usually deflect at the upper or lower interfaces between metal veins and rocks(e.g.the specimen S-2),which is different from the propagation behavior of fractures in calcite veins.Meanwhile,the fracture toughness of the specimen S-1 is 24.40%higher than that of the specimen S-2,indicating that the increasing of total thickness of multiple metal veins in-creases the resistance to the fracture vertical propagation.The simulation results show that the increasing of the number,total thickness of veins,the modulus difference between veins and rock,the approach angle and the notch angle all increase the resistance of the fracture passing through metal veins.The maximum deviation distance(Dmax)of the fracture decreases with the number of veins,while thickness combination types of metal veins do not affect Dmax.The reduction of the notch angle leads to the more tortuous fracture propagation path.Finally,we propose a new comprehensive fracture network pattern.Fracture networks are divided into two categories,including orthogonal fracture networks and sub-orthogonal fracture networks,and then divided into six sub-categories further.The research results will provide reference for hydraulic fracturing of shale reservoirs containing multi-metal-veins.

Borehole stability in naturally fractured reservoirs luring production tests

Based on the plane of weakness theory, a model for predicting borehole stability in fractured reservoirs under different stress states was estiblisted and the equations for solving borehole stability were developed. The minimum downhole pressures required to maintain borehole stability under different natural fracture occurrences were calculated by using the data from a well in the Tazhong （central Tarim） area, Tarim Basin, west China. Several conclusions were drawn for naturally fractured reservoirs with a dip angle from less than 10° to greater than 30°. Application in three wells in the Tazhong area indicates that this model is practically useful.

Dynamic fracture toughness of TA15ELI alloy studied by instrumented impact test

The dynamic fracture toughness of TA15ELI alloy with two types of microstructures was studied by instrumented impact test.Charpy specimens with both the 0.2 mm U-notch and the a/W = 0.2 pre-crack were adopted to compare notch sensitivity in the two microstructures.The result shows that the specimen with Widmanst？tten microstructure exhibits a better dynamic fracture toughness and lower notch sensitivity than that with lath-like microstructure.Fracture surfaces in the case of the two microstructures are analyzed to have a ductile and brittle mixed feature under dynamic loading.The fracture surface of lath-like microstructure is composed of dimples and tear ridges,while that of Widmanst？tten microstructure is covered with rough block-like facets and dimples and tear ridges.The α phase boundaries and α/β interfaces act as locations for void nucleation and crack arrest and deviation.The decrease in width of α phase lamellae leads to the increase in the amount of boundaries and interfaces,which causes the increase in the consumption of impact energy and results in the improvement in dynamic fracture toughness.

Test of subcritical crack growth and fracture toughness under water-rock interaction in three types of rocks

The subcritical crack growth and fracture toughness in peridotite, lherzolite and amphibolite were investigated with double torsion test. The results show that water-rock interaction has a significant influence on subcritical crack growth. With water-rock interaction, the crack velocity increases, while the stress intensity factor declines, which illustrates that water-rock interaction can decrease the strength of rocks and accelerate the subcritical crack growth. Based on Charlse theory and Hilling & Charlse theory, the test data were analyzed by regression and the correlation coefficients were all higher than 0.7, which shows the correlation is significant. This illustrates that both theories can explain the results of tests very well. Therefore, it is believed that the subcritical crack growth attributes to the breaking of chemical bond, which is caused by the combined effect of the tensile stress and the chemical reaction between the material at crack tip and the corrosive agent. Meanwhile, water-rock interaction has a vital effect on fracture toughness. The fracture toughness of samples under atmospheric environment is higher than that of samples immersed in water. And water-rock interaction has larger influence on fracture toughness in amphibolite than that in peridotite and lherzolite.

A Review of Experimental Research on the Mode I Fracture Behavior of Bamboo

Bamboo is an eco-friendly material with light weight,high strength,short growth cycle and high sustainability,which is widely used in building structures.Engineered bamboo has further promoted the development of modern bamboo structures due to its unrestricted size and shape.However,as a fiber-reinforced material,fracture damage,especially Mode I fracture damage,becomes the most likely damage mode of its structure,so Mode I fracture characteristics are an important subject in the research of mechanical properties of bamboo.This paper summarizes the current status of experimental research on the Mode I fracture properties of bamboo based on the three-point bending(TPB)method,the single-edge notched beam(SENB)method,the compact tension(CT)method and the double cantilever beam(DCB)method,compares the fracture toughness of different species of bamboo,analyzes the toughening mechanisms and fracture damage modes,discusses the applicability of different theoretical calculation methods,and makes suggestions for future research priorities,aiming to provide a reference for future research and engineering applications in related fields.

Transient pressure analysis of polymer flooding fractured wells with oil-water two-phase flow

The oil-water two-phase flow pressure-transient analysis model for polymer flooding fractured well is established by considering the comprehensive effects of polymer shear thinning,shear thickening,convection,diffusion,adsorption retention,inaccessible pore volume and effective permeability reduction.The finite volume difference and Newton iteration methods are applied to solve the model,and the effects of fracture conductivity coefficient,injected polymer mass concentration,initial polymer mass concentration and water saturation on the well-test type curves of polymer flooding fractured wells are discussed.The results show that with the increase of fracture conductivity coefficient,the pressure conduction becomes faster and the pressure drop becomes smaller,so the pressure curve of transitional flow goes downward,the duration of bilinear flow becomes shorter,and the linear flow appears earlier and lasts longer.As the injected polymer mass concentration increases,the effective water phase viscosity increases,and the pressure loss increases,so the pressure and pressure derivative curves go upward,and the bilinear flow segment becomes shorter.As the initial polymer mass concentration increases,the effective water phase viscosity increases,so the pressure curve after the wellbore storage segment moves upward as a whole.As the water saturation increases,the relative permeability of water increases,the relative permeability of oil decreases,the total oil-water two-phase mobility becomes larger,and the pressure loss is reduced,so the pressure curve after the wellbore storage segment moves downward as a whole.The reliability and practicability of this new model are verified by the comparison of the results from simplified model and commercial well test software,and the actual well test data.

Analysis on the deformation and fracture behavior of carbon steel by in situ tensile test

The deformation and fracture behaviors of low-carbon steel, medium-carbon steel, and high-carbon steel were studied on internal microstructure using the scanning electron microscopy in situ tensile test. The microstructure mechanism of their deformation and fracture behavior was analyzed. The results show that the deformation and fracture behavior of low-carbon steel depends on the grain size of ferrite, the deformation and fracture behavior of medium-carbon steel depends on the size of ferrite grain and pearlite lump, and the deformation and fracture behavior of high-carbon steel depends on the size of pearlite lump and the pearlitic interlamellar spacing.

Interface fracture toughness and fracture mechanisms of thermal barrier coatings investigated by indentation test and acoustic emission technique

Interface fracture toughness and fracture mechanisms of plasma-/sprayed thermal barrier coatings （TBCs） were investigated by interfacial indentation test （ HT） in combination with acoustic emission （ AE ） measurement. Critical load and AE energy were employed to calculate interface fracture toughness. The critical point at which crack appears at the interface was determined by the HT. AE signals produced during total indentation test not only are used to investigate the interface cracking behavior by Fast Fourier Transform （FFT） and wavelet transforms but also supply the mechanical information. The result shows that the AE signals associated with coating plastic deformation during indentation are of a more continuous type with a lower characteristic frequency content （30 -60 kHz） , whereas the instantaneous relaxation associated with interface crack initiation produces burst type AE signals with a characteristic frequency in the range 70 - 200 kHz. The AE signals energy is concentrated on different scales for the coating plastic deformation, interface crack initiation and interface crack propagation. Interface fracture toughness calculated by AE energy was 1. 19 MPam1/2 close to 1.58 MPam1/2 calculated by critical load. It indicates that the acoustic emission energy is suitable to reflect the interface fracture toughness.

Shock-induced fracture of dolomite rock in small-scale blast tests

This paper attempts to study dolomite failure using small-scale blast tests.The experimental setup consisted of a cylindrical specimen with a central borehole fitted with a detonation cord inside a copper pipe.The specimen was confined using lead material.During the test,acceleration histories were recorded using sensors placed on the lead confinement.The results showed that heterogeneity and initial cracks significantly influenced the observed failure and cracking patterns.The tests were numerically represented using the previously validated Johnson-HolmquistⅡ(JH-2)constitutive model.The properties of the detonation cord were first determined and verified in a special test with a lead specimen to compare the deformation in the test with that of numerical simulation.Then,the small-scale blast test was simulated,and the failure of the dolomite was compared with the test observations.Comparisons of acceleration histories,scabbing failure,and number of radial cracks and crack density confirmed the overall repeatability of the actual testing data.It is likely that the proposed model can be further used for numerical studies of blasting of dolomite rock.

Impacts of Disk Rock Sample Geometric Dimensions on Shear Fracture Behavior in a Punch Shear Test

Punch shear tests have been widely used to determine rock shear mechanical properties but without a standard sample geometric dimension suggestion.To investigate the impacts of sample geometric dimensions on shear behaviors in a punch shear test,simulations using Particle Flow Code were carried out.The effects of three geometric dimensions(i.e.,disk diameter,ratio of shear surface diameter to disk diameter,and ratio of disk height to shear surface diameter)were discussed.Variations of shear strength,shear stiffness,and shear dilatancy angles were studied,and the fracture processes and patterns of samples were investigated.Then,normal stress on the shear surface during test was analyzed and a suggested disk geometric dimension was given.Simulation results show that when the ratio of the shear surface diameter to the disk diameter and the ratio of disk height to the shear surface diameter is small enough,the shear strength,shear stiffness,and shear dilatancy angles are extremely sensitive to the three geometric parameters.If the ratio of surface diameter to disk diameter is too large or the ratio of disk height to surface diameter is too small,a part of the sample within the shear surface will fail due to macro tensile cracks,which is characterized by break off.Samples with a greater ratio of disk height to shear surface diameter,namely when the sample is relatively thick,crack from one end to the other while others crack from both ends towards the middle.During test,the actual normal stress on the shear surface is greater than the target value because of the extra compressive stress from the part of sample outside shear surface.