New insights into the development of brittle shear fractures from a 3-D numerical model of microcrack interaction

Details New insights into the development of brittle shear fractures from a 3-D numerical model of microcrack interaction New insights into the development of brittle shear fractures from a 3-D numerical model of microcrack interaction

Sep 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006e%26psl.249...14h&link_type=abstract

Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Volume 249, Issue 1-2, p. 14-28.

Computer Science

3

Scientific paper

Existing models of brittle shear failure are unable to account for three-dimensional deformation involving the development of polymodal sets of fractures. Motivated by field observations of contemporaneous arrays of quadrimodal faults and deformation bands, we use an idealised micromechanical model to explain how brittle shear fractures can form oblique to all three remote principal stresses. We model tensile microcracks as finite ellipsoidal voids, subjected to small opening strains, in a linear isotropic elastic matrix. The geometry of the tensile stress lobes around the ends of an isolated microcrack promotes the en echelon interaction of neighbouring cracks with respect to the prescribed crack orientation. Coalescence of these interacting crack arrays into a through-going composite fracture surface leads to a brittle shear failure plane oriented obliquely to all three coordinate axes and all three remote principal stresses. Experimental evidence supports the idea that composite shear fractures can propagate in-plane through the coalescence of many constituent tensile microcracks. Our new model, based on the 3-D geometry of the elastic stress field around a mode I crack, can explain the oblique orientations of polymodal faults formed in a triaxially compressive stress field.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

New insights into the development of brittle shear fractures from a 3-D numerical model of microcrack interaction does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with New insights into the development of brittle shear fractures from a 3-D numerical model of microcrack interaction, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and New insights into the development of brittle shear fractures from a 3-D numerical model of microcrack interaction will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1078222