Effect of volume changes on complete deformation behavior of rocks

Abstract

For the purpose of describing the deformation characteristics of rocks, the effect of volume changes on mechanical properties of rocks should be taken into account with relation to the development of constitutive model. Firstly, rocks are divided into three parts, i.e., voids, a damaged part and an undamaged part in the course of loading. The void ratio was applied to describing the changes of voids or pores during the deformation process. Then, using statistical damage theory, a constitutive model was developed for rocks to describe their strain softening and hardening on the basis of investigating the relationship between the net stress and apparent stress, in which the influence of volume changes on rock behavior was correctly taken into account, such as the initial phase of compaction and the latter stage of dilation. Thirdly, a method of determining model parameters was also presented. Finally, this model was used to compare the theoretical results with those observed from experiments under conventional triaxial loading conditions.

Keywords

rock mechanics / constitutive model / statistical damage theory / volume change / void ratio