A new fracturing mechanism for granular media

• Published in: Geophysical research letters Vol. 24; no. 21; pp. 2605 - 2608
• Main Authors: Bessinger, Brad A., Liu, Zhong, Cook, Neville G. W., Myer, Larry R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.1997; American Geophysical Union
• Subjects: Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Engineering geology; Exact sciences and technology; fracturing; scanning electron microscopy; stress; Young's modulus; propagation; simulation; SEM data; two-dimensional models; drilling; loading; compression; fractures

Borehole breakout experiments are performed on sintered glass bead bricks and a new microscale fracturing mechanism is described that results in a macroscopic fracture plane oriented perpendicular to the uniaxial compressive loading stress. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is used to inspect the f...