Investigation of crack propagation and acoustic emission characteristics in jointed rock under freeze-thaw cycles based on DEM

Abstract

In cold-region environments, where complex stresses and mining disturbances occur, rock masses are frequently segmented into discontinuous bodies by fractured structural planes, leading to anisotropic physical and mechanical properties. To explore the evolution of microcracks, degradation characteristics, and failure modes of fractured rocks in cold regions under the influence of freeze-thaw cycles, integrating laboratory experiments with the damage mechanics of freeze-thaw cycles. A numerical model for freeze-thaw cycle damage in rocks with various fracture dip angles was developed. The study revealed that the freeze-thaw expansion force generated during the pore water-ice phase transition is the primary driving factor behind freeze-thaw cycle damage. The initiation and propagation of microcracks and micropores, the detachment of matrix particles, and the loosening of clay mineral structures result in the transformation of the rock from a dense to a porous state, causing significant degradation in macroscopic mechanical properties. As freeze-thaw cycles increase, both the uniaxial compressive strength and the deformation modulus of the rock decrease significantly, with the failure mode gradually shifting from brittle instability to brittle-plastic or plastic failure. The findings of this study offer a practical approach to uncovering the mechanical response mechanisms between freeze-thaw damage in fractured rocks and structural planes.

Keywords

Freeze-thaw cycles / Acoustic emission / Micro-damage / Failure mechanism / Fracture dip angle

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2022YFC2903902), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 52374157 and 52174070), the Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST (No. 2023QNRC001) and the Key Science and Technology Project of Ministry of Emergency Management of the People’s Republic of China (No. 2024EMST080802).

References

[1] Wang HB, Zhang B, Mei G, Xu NX. A statistics-based discrete element modeling method coupled with the strength reduction method for the stability analysis of jointed rock slopes. Eng Geol 2020; 264:105247.

[2] Chen M, Yang SQ, Ranjith PG, Zhang YC. Cracking behavior of rock containing non-persistent joints with various joints inclinations. Theor Appl Fract Mech 2020; 109:102701.

[3] Zhao Y, Yang TH, Zhang PH, Xu HY, Wang SH. Inversion of seepage channels based on mining-induced microseismic data. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 2020; 126:104180.

[4] Li JD, Gao Y, Yang TH, Zhang PH, Deng WX, Liu FY. Effect of water on the rock strength and creep behavior of green mudstone. Geomech Geophys Geo Energy Geo Resour 2023; 9(1):101.

[5] Tang XH, Tao SJ, Li P, Rutqvist J, Hu MS, Sun L. The propagation and interaction of cracks under freeze-thaw cycling in rock-like material. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 2022; 154:105112.

[6] Zhu TT, Chen JX, Huang D, Luo YB, Li Y, Xu LF. A DEM-based approach for modeling the damage of rock under freeze-thaw cycles. Rock Mech Rock Eng 2021; 54(6):2843-58.

[7] Luo XD, Jiang N, Fan XY, Mei NF, Luo H. Effects of freeze-thaw on the determination and application of parameters of slope rock mass in cold regions. Cold Reg Sci Technol 2015; 110:32-7.

[8] Zhang SJ, Lai YM, Zhang XF, Pu YB, Yu WB. Study on the damage propagation of surrounding rock from a cold-region tunnel under freeze-thaw cycle condition. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 2004; 19(3):295-302.

[9] Luo XD, Jiang N, Zuo CQ, Dai ZW, Yan ST. Damage characteristics of altered and unaltered diabases subjected to extremely cold freeze-thaw cycles. Rock Mech Rock Eng 2014; 47(6):1997-2004.

[10] Liang ZC, Wang D, Li GH, Sun GY, Yu MY, Xia D, Ding CJ.Three-dimensional stability calculation method for high and large composite slopes formed by mining stope and inner dump in adjacent open pits. Int J Min Sci Technol 2024; 34(4):507-20.

[11] Wu XG, Wang MY, Lu H, Zhang YJ, Nie W. Modified Sadowski formula-based model for the slope shape amplification effect under multistage slope blasting vibration. Int J Min Sci Technol 2024; 34(5):631-41.

[12] Du K, Luo XY, Liu MH, Liu XL, Zhou J. Understanding the evolution mechanism and classification criteria of tensile-shear cracks in rock failure process from acoustic emission (AE) characteristics. Eng Fract Mech 2024; 296:109864.

[13] Liu HY, Zhang XC, Yan XD. A damage constitutive model for a rock under compression after freeze-thaw cycles based on the micromechanics. Geofluids 2021; 2021(1):3177464.

[14] Lei DX, Lin H, Wang YX. Damage characteristics of shear strength of joints under freeze-thaw cycles. Arch Appl Mech 2022; 92(5):1615-31.

[15] Wang Y, Zhang B, Gao SH, Li CH. Investigation on the effect of freeze-thaw on fracture mode classification in marble subjected to multi-level cyclic loads. Theor Appl Fract Mech 2021; 111:102847.

[16] Momeni A, Abdilor Y, Khanlari GR, Heidari M, Sepahi AA. The effect of freeze- thaw cycles on physical and mechanical properties of granitoid hard rocks. Bull Eng Geol Environ 2016; 75(4):1649-56.

[17] Hosseini M, Khodayari A. Effect of freeze-thaw cycle on strength and rock strength parameters (a lushan sandstone case study). J Min Environ 2019; 10 (1):257-70.

[18] Zhang HM, Meng XZ, Yang GS. A study on mechanical properties and damage model of rock subjected to freeze-thaw cycles and confining pressure. Cold Reg Sci Technol 2020; 174:103056.

[19] Chen YF, Lin H, Liang LY. Freeze-thaw failure characteristics and strength loss of non-penetrating fractured rock mass with different fracture densities. Theor Appl Fract Mech 2023; 124:103792.

[20] Chai SB, Liu H, Song L, Li XP, Fu XD, Zhou YQ. Static pressure and dynamic impact characteristics of filled jointed rock after frozen-thaw cycle damage. Front Ecol Evol 2023; 11:1222676.

[21] Jia HL, Xiang W, Krautblatter M. Quantifying rock fatigue and decreasing compressive and tensile strength after repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Permafr Periglac Process 2015; 26(4):368-77.

[22] Wang Y, Wittel FK. Ice lensing in sandstone walls under monotonic and cyclic climatic conditions. Int J Heat Mass Transf 2025; 238:126473.

[23] Niggemann K, Ziegler M, Fuentes R. Influence of freezing directions on ice lens formations in soils. Acta Geotech 2024; 19(9):5781-98.

[24] Sun L, Tao SJ, Liu QS. Frost crack propagation and interaction in fissured rocks subjected to freeze-thaw cycles: Experimental and numerical studies. Rock Mech Rock Eng 2023; 56(2):1077-97.

[25] Liu NF, Li N, Wang SJ, Li GF, Song ZP. A fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model for fractured rock masses in cold regions. Cold Reg Sci Technol 2023; 205:103707.

[26] Yang C, Zhou KP, Xiong X, Deng HW, Pan Z. Experimental investigation on rock mechanical properties and infrared radiation characteristics with freeze-thaw cycle treatment. Cold Reg Sci Technol 2021; 183:103232.

[27] Hou C, Jin XG, He J, Li HL. Experimental studies on the pore structure and mechanical properties of anhydrite rock under freeze-thaw cycles. J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 2022; 14(3):781-97.

[28] Tian Y, Yu RG, Zhang Y, Zhao XB. Research on damage evolution of deep formation rock based on acoustic emission test. Int J Damage Mech 2021; 30 (1):145-59.

[29] Liu B, Ma YJ, Zhang G, Xu W. Acoustic emission investigation of hydraulic and mechanical characteristics of muddy sandstone experienced one freeze-thaw cycle. Cold Reg Sci Technol 2018; 151:335-44.

[30] Liu QS, Huang SB, Kang YS, Pan YC. Kang Y, Pan Y. Study of unfrozen water content and frost heave model for saturated rock under low temperature. Chin J Rock Mech Eng. 2016; 35(10):2000-12. in Chinese.

[31] Hazzard JF, Young RP. Moment tensors and micromechanical models. Tectonophysics 2002; 356(1-3):181-97.

[32] Knopoff L, Randall MJ. The compensated linear-vector dipole: A possible mechanism for deep earthquakes. J Geophys Res 1970; 75(26):4957-63.

[33] Vavryčuk V. Moment tensor decompositions revisited. J Seismol 2015; 19 (1):231-52.

[34] Feignier B, Young RP. Moment tensor inversion of induced microseisnmic events: evidence of non-shear failures in the -4<M<-2 moment magnitude range. Geophys Res Lett 1992; 19(14):1503-6.

[35] Zhao YL, Zhang LY, Wang WJ, Liu Q, Tang LM, Cheng GM. Experimental study on shear behavior and a revised shear strength model for infilled rock joints. Int J Geomech 2020; 20(9):04020141.

[36] Zhou XP, Li GQ, Ma HC. Real-time experiment investigations on the coupled thermomechanical and cracking behaviors in granite containing three pre-existing fissures. Eng Fract Mech 2020; 224:106797.