MULTISCALE ANALYSIS METHOD INCORPORATING FRICTIONAL CONTACT ANALYSIS OF CRACKS IN MICRO SCALE

Abstract

A multiscale analysis model for fissured material bodies, which incorporates a frictional contact analysis of cracks in microstructure, is proposed. Based on the saddle point theorem using Lagrange multiplier method, the frictional contact analysis in micro scale is reasonably formulated, and therefore its computational algorithm is constructed along “active set strategy”. The proposed model simulates a plate loading test and a block shearing test on a cracked rock mass model and can predict gradual increase of apparent stiffness and shear strength of the rock mass due to crack closure during loading. These predictions are in good agreement with such phenomena observed in actual rock mass tests and assure usefulness of the proposed model in rock mechanics.