Catastrophic rupture induced damage coalescence in heterogeneous brittle media

• Published in: Pure and Applied Geophysics Vol. 163; no. 9; pp. 1847 - 1865
• Main Authors: Rong, Feng, Wang, Haiying, Xia, Mengfen, Ke, Fujiu, Bai, Yilong
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel Springer 01.09.2006; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Coalescence; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Evolution; Exact sciences and technology; Finite element analysis; Heterogeneity; Tectonics. Structural geology. Plate tectonics; stress; damage; models; shear strength; accumulation; finite element analysis; heterogeneity; rupture; FEM; damage evolution; coupling; catastrophic rupture; natural disaster damages; deformation; stress redistribution; damage coalescence
• ISSN: 0033-4553; 1420-9136
• DOI: 10.1007/s00024-006-0100-8

In heterogeneous brittle media, the evolution of damage is strongly influenced by the multiscale coupling effect. To better understand this effect, we perform a detailed investigation of the damage evolution, with particular attention focused on the catastrophe transition. We use an adaptive multiscale finite-element model (MFEM) to simulate the damage evolution and the catastrophic failure of heterogeneous brittle media. Both plane stress and plane strain cases are investigated for a heterogeneous medium whose initial shear strength follows the Weibull distribution. Damage is induced through the application of the Coulomb failure criterion to each element, and the element mesh is refined where the failure criterion is met. We found that as damage accumulates, there is a stronger and stronger nonlinear increase in stress and the stress redistribution distance. The coupling of the dynamic stress redistribution and the heterogeneity at different scales result in an inverse cascade of damage cluster size, which represents rapid coalescence of damage at the catastrophe transition.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]