Clinical significance of Baumann's angle in the percutaneous pinning fixation for supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children

To evaluate the clinical significance of Baumann’s angle in the closed reduction and percutaneous pinning fixation for supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children.Methods There were 97 children (male 59,female 38,mean age of 6.8 years) with displaced supracondylar fracrtures of the humerus were treated in this hospital.Under fluoroscopy guidance,three-dimensional displacement of fractures was corrected by closed reduction.The percutaneous Kirschner wire pinning was applied only if the radiographs demonstrated that Baumann’s angle was less than 4 degree compared to that on the normal side.All of them were followed up for 34.5 months (range,12 to 48 months).Results There was one case with ulnar nerve palsy associated with the pinning.There were no Volkmann’s contracture in this group.X-ray examinations revealed an average 73.7 degrees of Baumann angle on the injured and 72.8 on uninjured side.An average 7.6 degrees of the carrying angle on the injured and 9.7 on uninjured side were also demonstrated by radiography.Five patients developed slight cubitus varus deformity.The result according to Flynn criteria were excellent in 85 patients (87.6%),good in 12 patients (12.4%).Conclusion The satisfactory results can be gained in children with displaced supracondylar fractures of the humerus by restoration of the normal Baumann angle and percutaneous pinning fixation.18 refs,2 figs.

Development of a DFN-based probabilistic block theory approach for bench face angle design in open pit mining

In open pit mining,uncontrolled block instabilities have serious social,economic and regulatory consequences,such as casualties,disruption of operation and increased regulation difficulties.For this reason,bench face angle,as one of the controlling parameters associated with block instabilities,should be carefully designed for sustainable mining.This study introduces a discrete fracture network(DFN)-based probabilistic block theory approach for the fast design of the bench face angle.A major advantage is the explicit incorporation of discontinuity size and spatial distribution in the procedure of key blocks testing.The proposed approach was applied to a granite mine in China.First,DFN models were generated from a multi-step modeling procedure to simulate the complex structural characteristics of pit slopes.Then,a modified key blocks searching method was applied to the slope faces modeled,and a cumulative probability of failure was obtained for each sector.Finally,a bench face angle was determined commensurate with an acceptable risk level of stability.The simulation results have shown that the number of hazardous traces exposed on the slope face can be significantly reduced when the suggested bench face angle is adopted,indicating an extremely low risk of uncontrolled block instabilities.

Damage Characteristics Analysis and Fractal Study of Shale With Prefabricated Fractures under Thermal-mechanical Coupling

To study the damage and failure of shale with different fracture inclination angles under uniaxial compression loading,in this work,RFPA2D-Thermal,a two-dimensional real failure process analysis software,was used for numerical simulation.Numerical simulation results show that quartz in shale mainly affects the tensile and compressive strength of shale by increasing rock brittleness.The coupling of temperature and pressure will cause lateral and volume destruction of shale,which enables the shale body to be more easily broken.Fracture inclination is the key factor affecting shale damage patterns.The failure mode of shale with low-and high-angle fractures is mainly shear failure,and the compressive strength does not vary with crack inclination.The damage mode of obliquely intersecting fractured shale is slip damage along the fracture face,the compressive strength decreases and then increases with the fracture inclination,and a minimum value exists.The acoustic emission simulation results of the damage process effectively reflect the accumulated internal damage and macroscopic crack appearance until fracture instability when the prefabricated fractured shale is subjected to uniaxial compressive loading.The crack inclinations of 0°and 120℃ corresponds to the most complex"N"shape damage mode.The crack inclinations of 30°and 60°,and the damage mode is an inverted"λ"shape.

3D morphology and formation mechanism of fractures developed by true triaxial stress

As main part of underground rock mass,the three-dimensional(3D)morphology of natural fractures plays an important role in rock mass stability.Based on previous studies on 3D morphology,this study probes into the law and mechanism regarding the influence of the confining pressure constraints on 3D morphological features of natural fractures.First,fracture surfaces were obtained by true triaxial compression test and 3D laser scanning.Then 3D morphological parameters of fractures were calculated by using Grasselli’s model.The results show that the failure mode of granites developed by true triaxial stress can be categorized into tension failure and shear failure.Based on the spatial position of fractures,they can be divided into tension fracture surface,S-1 shear fracture surface,and S-2 shear fracture surface.Micro-failure of the tension fracture surface is dominated by mainly intergranular fracture;the maximum height of asperities on the fracture surface and the 3D roughness of fracture surfaces are influenced by σ_(3) only and they are greater than those of shear fracture surfaces,a lower overall uniformity than tension fracture surface.S-1 shear fracture surface and S-2 shear fracture surface are dominated by intragranular and intergranular coupling fracture.The maximum height of asperities on the fracture surface and 3D roughness of fracture surface are affected by σ_(1),σ_(2),and σ_(3).With the increase of σ_(2) or σ_(3),the cutting off of asperities on the fracture surface becomes more common,the maximum height of asperities and 3D roughness of fracture surface further decrease,and the overall uniformity gets further improved.The experimental results are favorable for selecting technical parameters of enhanced geothermal development and the safety of underground mine engineering.

Experimental and numerical investigation of droplet flow mechanisms at fracture intersections

Understanding unsaturated flow behaviors in fractured rocks is essential for various applications.A fundamental process in this regard is flow splitting at fracture intersections.However,the impact of geometrical properties of fracture intersections on flow splitting is still unclear.This work investigates the combined influence of geometry(intersection angle,fracture apertures,and inclination angle),liquid droplet length,inertia,and dynamic wetting properties on liquid splitting dynamics at fracture intersections.A theoretical model of liquid splitting is developed,considering the factors mentioned above,and numerically solved to predict the flow splitting behavior.The model is validated against carefullycontrolled visualized experiments.Our results reveal two distinct splitting behaviors,separated by a critical droplet length.These behaviors shift from a monotonic to a non-monotonic trend with decreasing inclination angle.A comprehensive analysis further clarifies the impacts of the key factors on the splitting ratio,which is defined as the percentage of liquid volume entering the branch fracture.The splitting ratio decreases with increasing inclination angle,indicating a decrease in the gravitational effect on the branch fracture,which is directly proportional to the intersection angle.A non-monotonic relationship exists between the splitting ratio and the aperture ratio of the branch fracture to the main fracture.The results show that as the intersection angle decreases,the splitting ratio increases.Additionally,the influence of dynamic contact angles decreases with increasing intersection angle.These findings enhance our understanding of the impact of geometry on flow dynamics at fracture intersections.The proposed model provides a foundation for simulating and predicting unsaturated flow in complex fractured networks.

Shear mechanical properties and fracturing responses of layered rough jointed rock-like materials

This study aims to investigate mechanical properties and failure mechanisms of layered rock with rough joint surfaces under direct shear loading.Cubic layered samples with dimensions of 100 mm×100 mm×100 mm were casted using rock-like materials,with anisotropic angle(α)and joint roughness coefficient(JRC)ranging from 15°to 75°and 2-20,respectively.The direct shear tests were conducted under the application of initial normal stress(σ_(n)) ranging from 1-4 MPa.The test results indicate significant differences in mechanical properties,acoustic emission(AE)responses,maximum principal strain fields,and ultimate failure modes of layered samples under different test conditions.The peak stress increases with the increasingαand achieves a maximum value atα=60°or 75°.As σ_(n) increases,the peak stress shows an increasing trend,with correlation coefficients R² ranging from 0.918 to 0.995 for the linear least squares fitting.As JRC increases from 2-4 to 18-20,the cohesion increases by 86.32%whenα=15°,while the cohesion decreases by 27.93%whenα=75°.The differences in roughness characteristics of shear failure surface induced byαresult in anisotropic post-peak AE responses,which is characterized by active AE signals whenαis small and quiet AE signals for a largeα.For a given JRC=6-8 andσ_(n)=1 MPa,asαincreases,the accumulative AE counts increase by 224.31%(αincreased from 15°to 60°),and then decrease by 14.68%(αincreased from 60°to 75°).The shear failure surface is formed along the weak interlayer whenα=15°and penetrates the layered matrix whenα=60°.Whenα=15°,as σ_(n) increases,the adjacent weak interlayer induces a change in the direction of tensile cracks propagation,resulting in a stepped pattern of cracks distribution.The increase in JRC intensifies roughness characteristics of shear failure surface for a smallα,however,it is not pronounced for a largeα.The findings will contribute to a better understanding of the mechanical responses and failure mechanisms of the layered rocks subjected to shear loads.

踝关节骨折术后踝穴冠状位角度波动与关节功能恢复的关系

背景:踝关节骨折术后的踝穴形态指标会出现相应变化,而其中踝穴冠状位角度变化与踝关节的功能恢复之间存在一定的关联,既往研究大多探讨患者术后踝穴高度恢复,故研究踝关节骨折术后踝穴冠状位角度的波动与关节功能恢复的相关性具有一定参考意义。目的:探讨踝关节骨折术后踝穴冠状位角度变化对关节功能恢复的影响。方法:纳入进行手术治疗的86例踝关节骨折患者为研究对象,根据末次随访美国骨科足踝外科协会踝-后足评分结果分为优良组(n=45)和可差组(n=41),比较两组患者的一般资料。根据踝关节的踝穴位及侧位X射线片对比术后患者患侧和健侧的踝穴形态指标:包括踝穴宽度和深度、冠状位角度及矢状位角度,以及上述指标患侧和健侧之间的差值,并进一步进行组内比较分析。构建联合模型,利用Cox回归分析评估冠状位角度波动与关节功能恢复情况的关系。利用最小绝对收缩选择算子回归法和多因素Logistic回归分析影响患者关节功能恢复的危险因素。按踝穴冠状位角度从低到高等分为5分位数组(Q1-Q5),比较5组患者的临床资料特征,并采用多因素Logistic回归分析踝穴冠状位角度变化与关节功能恢复不良风险的相关性,建立限制性立方样条Logistic回归模型分析其剂量-反应关系。建立回归方程y=1-1/(1+e^(-z))预测模型并进行验证。结果与结论:①患者患侧的踝穴宽度和深度、冠状位角度及矢状位角度均显著大于健侧(P均<0.05);且与优良组患者相比,可差组患者踝穴宽度差值、深度差值、冠状位角度差值及矢状位角度差值均更大(P<0.05);②联合模型显示无论冠状位角度是否在正常范围内,冠状位角度每纵向增加1˚,关节功能恢复不良的风险增加3%;③最小绝对收缩选择算子回归和多因素Logistics回归分析显示,调整潜在混杂因素后发现年龄过大、早期功能锻炼缺乏、无跟骨牵引、内固定物未取出、术后并发症、踝冠状位角度增大均为影响患者关节功能恢复的独立危险因素(P<0.05);④术后3个月内的冠状位角度与关节功能恢复效果不良风险存在独立相关性(OR=1.57,95%CI:1.38-1.76,P=0.002),且术后各时间段冠状位角度从低到高5分位数组趋势性检验差异有统计学意义(P趋势<0.001);⑤限制性立方样条模型分析显示,男性或女性的踝穴冠状位角度变化与关节功能恢复效果不良风险均不存在非线性关系;经Bootstrap自抽样,预测模型区分度、准确度较好;⑥提示踝关节骨折术后踝穴冠状位角度减小对关节功能恢复起到明显的促进作用,因此在踝关节骨折术后重点检测踝穴冠状位角度有助于了解患者关节功能恢复情况。

后外侧胫骨平台骨折应用万向螺钉的有限元分析

背景:通过腓骨头上入路治疗后外侧胫骨平台骨折时,腓骨头与外侧平台间隙差无法满足所有患者行钢板后置。目的:有限元法分析腓骨头上入路治疗后外侧胫骨平台骨折过程中钢板横臂万向螺钉角度以及数量不同导致固定强度的差异。方法:选用一名30岁健康成年男性志愿者膝关节至踝关节的CT图像,建立有限元模型。根据外侧锁定加压钢板是否后置分为后置组和非后置组,后置组根据2枚万向螺钉的偏移角度分为A-D组(0°,5°,10°,15°);非后置组根据2枚万向螺钉的偏移角度分为E,F组(0°,15°)。采用有限元法评估250,500,750 N载荷下的von Mises应力分布、最大von Mises应力和压缩位移,探究各组之间的力学差异。结果与结论:①有限元分析结果显示:750 N载荷水平下,内固定装置的最大压缩位移趋势为D<B=C=F<A<E,最大von Mises应力趋势为B<C<A<D<F<E,骨的最大压缩位移趋势为C=D<B<A<F<E,最大von Mises应力趋势为B<C<A<F<D<E;6组模型在250-750 N的位移和应力趋势相似;②提示通过腓骨头上入路固定后外侧胫骨平台骨折,应尽量满足钢板后置2枚螺钉固定;当术中后置钢板仅满足1枚螺钉固定时,可使用万向螺钉在0°-15°范围内后偏,增加2枚螺钉的固定概率。

桡骨远端C1型骨折三种内固定方式的有限元分析

背景:桡骨远端C1型骨折属于关节内不稳定型骨折,治疗上存在较大的难度。目前对桡骨远端骨折不同内固定接骨板的临床研究较少,缺乏多种内固定接骨板的生物力学对比研究,在内固定接骨板的选用上仍存在争议。目的:通过有限元分析法比较不同内固定接骨板在桡骨远端C1型骨折治疗中的生物力学特性。方法:使用一名健康女性志愿者的桡骨模型,顺序导入Mimics 21.0、Geomagic Wrap 2017、Solid Works 2021等软件进行处理,制作桡骨远端C1型骨折模型。根据厂家提供的接骨板数据,分别建立桡骨远端掌侧斜T形锁定板、桡骨远端掌侧蝶形锁定板、桡骨远端掌侧万向锁定板和螺钉的三维模型,并且和骨折模型进行装配,在ANSYS 19.0中赋予材料属性,设定各接触面相互作用关系并定义载荷及边界条件,模拟其腕关节压缩、背弯、掌屈和扭转等4种载荷工况,比较其生物力学性能。结果与结论:①3组内固定模型在4种载荷工况下,内固定模型整体位移主要集中在桡骨远端关节面上;模型在背弯、掌屈和扭转载荷工况下的最大位移是轴向载荷下位移的2-6倍,表明轴向载荷工况下内固定系统最稳定;②内固定上的应力远大于骨折块上的应力,内固定物应力主要集中于接骨板在骨折断端附近区域,其中万向锁定板和蝶形锁定板应力分布较为均匀,斜T形锁定板应力集中现象最为明显;③在压缩和扭转载荷下,骨折块的应力主要集中在螺钉孔周围,掌屈和背伸载荷下则是从桡骨远端向近端逐步扩展;在同样的载荷工况下,斜T形锁定板固定状态下骨折块应力最大,万向锁定板固定系统骨折块所受应力峰值最低,蝶形锁定板与万向锁定板固定状态下的骨折块峰值应力仅仅相差0.2-6.0 MPa;④相比于斜T形锁定板和蝶形锁定板,万向锁定板在桡骨远端C1型骨折内固定中应力分布更均匀,固定模型关节面位移更小、稳定性更佳。

超高龄椎体压缩骨折患者经皮椎体后凸成形术后脊柱局部后凸的矫正效果

背景:经皮椎体后凸成形是治疗骨质疏松性椎体压缩骨折的常用术式,然而,目前尚无研究证实经皮椎体后凸成形手术能否有效矫正超高龄(年龄≥80岁)骨质疏松性椎体压缩骨折患者的脊柱局部后凸。目的:探究经皮椎体后凸成形对超高龄骨质疏松性椎体压缩骨折患者脊柱局部后凸的矫正效果。方法:选择2016年3月至2022年8月于北京大学人民医院脊柱外科接受经皮椎体后凸成形治疗的单节段骨质疏松性椎体压缩骨折患者为研究队列,收集患者住院及门诊随访资料,按照年龄将患者分为高龄组(60-79岁,n=126)、超高龄组(≥80岁,n=52)。根据性别、体质量指数、基础疾病(高血压、糖尿病、心血管疾病)、骨折节段、有无术前椎体内裂隙征,采用倾向性评分匹配对两组患者进行1:2匹配,比较两组患者的腰椎CT值、骨水泥注入量、手术前后椎体高度、术前椎体塌陷率、手术前后Cobb角、Cobb角恢复率、术后骨水泥距椎体前缘距离、骨水泥矢状位填充位置、骨水泥接触上下椎板、骨水泥距椎板距离、骨水泥分布评分、骨水泥渗漏、椎体再骨折情况。结果与结论:①倾向性评分匹配后,共115例患者完成匹配,其中高龄组71例、超高龄组44例,两组患者的性别、体质量指数、高血压比率、糖尿病比率、心血管疾病比率、骨折节段、术前椎体内裂隙征比率基线资料比较均无显著性意义(P>0.05),超高龄组术后Cobb角低于高龄组(P<0.05),两组患者的腰椎CT值、骨水泥注入量、手术前后椎体高度、术前椎体塌陷率、术前Cobb角、Cobb角恢复率、术后骨水泥距椎体前缘距离、骨水泥矢状位填充位置、骨水泥接触上下椎板、骨水泥距椎板距离、骨水泥分布评分、骨水泥渗漏比率、椎体再骨折比率比较差异均无显著性意义(P>0.05)。②结果表明,经皮椎体后凸成形能够有效矫正超高龄骨质疏松性椎体压缩骨折患者的脊柱局部后凸。

True triaxial hydraulic fracturing test and numerical simulation of limestone

Hydraulic fracturing,as a key technology of deep energy exploitation,accelerates the rapid development of the modern petroleum industry.To study the mechanisms of hydraulic fracture propagation and rock failure mode of the vertical well hydraulic fracturing,the true triaxial hydraulic fracturing test and numerical simulation are carried out,and the influence of the principal stress difference,water injection displacement,perforation angle and natural fracture on fracture propagation is analyzed.The results show that the fracture propagation mode of limestone is mainly divided into two types:the single vertical fracture and the transverse-longitudinal crossed complex fracture.Under high displacement,the fracturing pressure is larger,and the secondary fracture is more likely to occur,while variable displacement loading is more likely to induce fracture network.Meanwhile,the amplitude of acoustic emission(AE)waveform of limestone during fracturing is between 0.01 and 0.02 mV,and the main frequency is maintained in the range of 230−300 kHz.When perforation angleθ=45°,it is easy to produce the T-type fracture that connects with the natural fracture,while X-type cracks are generated whenθ=30°.The results can be used as a reference for further study on the mechanism of limestone hydraulic fracturing.

Stress and Fracture Strength Analysis for Three-Way Pipes

Three-way pipes, T and Y pipes, are very important connecting components in pipeline systems, their strength are related to the safety of pipelines. In the case that crack is not detected in the three-way pipe, ANSYS finite element program version 5.6 is applied to study the stress distribution of the three-way pipe and to obtain the optimum fillet radius in the crotch region of the two pipes. The reasonable intersection angle of the two pipes is also obtained. In the case that a surface crack is detected in the three-way pipe, the maximum stress intensity factor (SIF) near the front of the surface crack is studied.

A numerical study of fracture initiation under different loads during hydraulic fracturing

The fracture initiation behavior for hydraulic fracturing treatments highlighted the necessity of proposing fracture criteria that precisely predict the fracture initiation type and location during the hydraulic fracturing process.In the present study,a Mohr-Coulomb criterion with a tensile cut-off is incorporated into the finite element code to determine the fracture initiation type and location during the hydraulic fracturing process.This fracture criterion considers the effect of fracture inclination angle,the internal friction angle and the loading conditions on the distribution of stress field around the fracture tip.The results indicate that the internal friction angle resists the shear fracture initiation.Moreover,as the internal friction angle increases,greater external loads are required to maintain the hydraulic fracture extension.Due to the increased pressure of the injected water,the tensile fracture ultimately determines the fracture initiation type.However,the shear fracture preferentially occurs as the stress anisotropy coefficient increases.Both the maximum tensile stress and equivalent maximum shear stress decrease as the stress anisotropy coefficient increases,which indicates that the greater the stress anisotropy coefficient,the higher the external loading required to propagate a new fracture.The numerical results obtained in this paper provide theoretical supports for establishing basis on investigating of the hydraulic fracturing characteristics under different conditions.

Extending application of asymmetric semi-circular bend specimen to investigate mixed mode Ⅰ/Ⅱ fracture behavior of granite

The asymmetric semi-circular bend(ASCB)specimen has been proposed to investigate the cracking behavior in different geo and construction materials and attracted the attention of researchers due to its advantages.However,there are few studies on the fracture toughness determination of rock materials.In this work,a series of fracture tests were performed with the ASCB specimens made of granite.The onset of fracture,crack initiation angle and crack propagating trajectory was analyzed in detail combined with several mixed mode fracture criteria.The influence of the crack length on the mode Ⅰ/Ⅱ fracture toughness was studied.A comparison between the fracture toughness ratios predicted by varying criteria and experimental results was conducted.The relationship between experimentally determined crack initiation angles and curves of the generalized maximum tangential stress(GMTS)criterion was obtained.The fracture process of the specimen was recorded with the high-speed camera.The shortcomings of the ASCB specimens for the fracture toughness determination of rock materials were discussed.The results may provide a reference for analysis of mixed mode I and II fracture behavior of brittle materials.

Analysis on Fracture Mechanics of Unstable Rock

Unstable rock is a kind of global geological disaster with high frequency. This paper, considering three kinds of combined loads which are gravity, fracture water pressure and seismic force, constructs a unstable rock mechanics model and it uses a fracture mechanics method to deduce the composite stress intensity factor of the type I - II. Based on the maximum circumferential stress theory, this article calculates the theo-retical fracture angle by triangle universal formula.

Experimental study on attenuation of Stoneley wave under different fracture factors

To quantitatively determine the effect of different factors such as fracture width,dip angle,extension and filling material on Stoneley wave amplitude decreasing,the shock tube experiment method was changed from fixing the sample and vertically moving the sensor in the borehole to fixing the sensors along the shock tube wall and vertically moving the sample without drilling the borehole in it.The measurement accuracy and the signal-to-noise ratio of the first Stoneley wave were improved by the time corrections and amplitude corrections of Stoneley wave signals.At the same time,21 sets of core models with different fracture parameters were processed for this measurement method by using full-diameter carbonate core,and relative amplitudes were defined to characterize Stoneley wave amplitude decreasing.The experimental results show that the relative amplitude of Stoneley wave exponentially decreases with increasing fracture width.The relative amplitude of Stoneley wave linearly decreases with increasing fracture dip angle.The relative amplitude of Stoneley wave exponentially decreases with increasing fracture extension.The relative amplitude of Stoneley wave decreases with increasing the permeability of filling material in the fracture.Under the above four conditions,the fracture width has the greatest effect on the decreasing of Stoneley wave amplitude,followed by the fracture extension and the permeability of filling material,and finally the fracture dip angle.

Toughness and Fracture Mechanism of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

The fracture toughness of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite(CFRP)was investigated through mode I and mode II shaped fracture system in this paper.A novel polyimide with trifluoromethyl groups and grafted nanosilica were used to modify epoxy resin.Effect of modified resin and unmodified resin on fracture toughness of CFRP was compared and discussed.Lay-up angles and thicknesses effects on fracture toughness of composites were also investigated.The fracture toughness of CFRP was obtained through double cantilever beam(DCB)and end notched flexure(ENF)tests.The results showed that the composites prepared by modified resin exhibited high fracture toughness compared with unmodified composites.The fracture toughness value of mode I increased from 1.83 kJ/m2 to 4.55 kJ/m2.The fracture toughness value of mode II increased from 2.30 kJ/m2 to 6.47 kJ/m2.

Fractured reservoir modeling by discrete fracture network and seismic modeling in the Tarim Basin,China

Fractured reservoirs are an important target for oil and gas exploration in the Tarim Basin and the prediction of this type of reservoir is challenging.Due to the complicated fracture system in the Tarim Basin,the conventional AVO inversion method based on HTI theory to predict fracture development will result in some errors.Thus,an integrated research concept for fractured reservoir prediction is put forward in this paper.Seismic modeling plays a bridging role in this concept,and the establishment of an anisotropic fracture model by Discrete Fracture Network （DFN） is the key part.Because the fracture system in the Tarim Basin shows complex anisotropic characteristics,it is vital to build an effective anisotropic model.Based on geological,well logging and seismic data,an effective anisotropic model of complex fracture systems can be set up with the DFN method.The effective elastic coefficients,and the input data for seismic modeling can be calculated.Then seismic modeling based on this model is performed,and the seismic response characteristics are analyzed.The modeling results can be used in the following AVO inversion for fracture detection.

Prediction of fracture and dilatancy in granite using acoustic emission signal cloud

The invisibility of fracture network evolution in the rock under triaxial compression seriously restricts the correlation modeling between dilatancy behavior and fracture interconnectivity.The key to solving such a challenge is strongly dependent on the accurate modeling of the spatial correlation in fracture network,which could be indirectly re-constructed by the acoustic emission(AE)signal cloud.Considering the interaction of local fractures,a cube cluster approach is established to describe the spatial correlation.The evolutional cube clusters effectively present the geometric characteristics induced by the increasing dilatancy of fracture.Two descriptors(i.e.three-axis length sum and pore fraction)are introduced to correlate cluster model with dilatancy behavior.Most fitting results support the linear correlation between two descriptors and volumetric strain,which verifies the sensitiveness of the cube cluster model to dilatancy.More importantly,by the statistical analysis of cluster structure,the cluster model shows the potential of calculating fracture angle.Moreover,a comparison between dilatancybased damage and porosity-based damage is made not to prove the best but provide an AE-based prediction of local damage evolution.Finally,four classical models for calculating fracture angle are compared.The deviations prove the huge difficulty of describing the development of the fracture network uniquely dependent on a fracture angle.The proximity of measured angle and cluster-based angle supports the effectiveness of predication by the cube cluster approach.

ROCK FRACTURE PROCESS ZONE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON MODEⅡFRACTURE BEHAVIOR

On the basis of that rock material usually has a larger fracture process zone,a new fracture criterion which is different from that of linear elastic fracture theory was presented.On this basis,the fracture behavior and influencing factors under modeⅡor compressive shear loading were investigated.