Coupled experimental-numerical fracture mechanics

The basic factor of brittle fracture in solids such as rock and concrete is the already existing micro-cracks and cracks in these materials. Study of the propagation mechanism of these cracks may be very important in the design of rock structures such as open pit and underground mining, rock slope stability, tunnels, underground structures. A simultaneous analytical, experimental and numerical analysis of crack initiation, propagation and breaking process of the pre-cracked rock-like specimens(the pre-cracked rock-like specimens specially prepared from Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), fine sands and water in a rock mechanics laboratory) under various loading conditions is carried out. The same experimental specimens have been numerically modeled by the modified HODDM code known as displacement discontinuity method (DDM).