• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.85 no.3
• /
• pp.337-351
• /
• 2023

In this paper, the shear behavior of soft filling in rectangular-hollow concrete specimens was simulated using the 2D particle flow code (PFC2D). The laboratory-measured properties were used to calibrate some PFC2D micro-properties for modeling the behavior of geo-materials. The dimensions of prepared and modeled samples were 100 mm×100 mm. Some disc type narrow bands were removed from the central part of the model and different lengths of bridge areas (i.e., the distance between internal tips of two joints) with lengths of 30 mm, 50 mm, and 70 mm were produced. Then, the middle of the rectangular hollow was filled with cement material. Three filling sizes with dimensions of 5 mm×5 mm, 10 mm×5 mm, and 15 mm×5 mm were provided for different modeled samples. The parallel bond model was used to calibrate and re-produce these modeled specimens. Therefore, totally, 9 different types of samples were designed for the shear tests in PFC2D. The shear load was gradually applied to the model under a constant loading condition of 3 MPa (σc/3). The loading was continued till shear failure occur in the modeled concrete specimens. It has been shown that both tensile and shear cracks may occur in the fillings. The shear cracks mainly initiated from the crack (joint) tips and coalesced with another one. The shear displacements and shear strengths were both increased as the filling dimensions increased (for the case of a bridge area with a particular fixed length).

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.15 no.2 s.55
• /
• pp.119-128
• /
• 2005

Although the evaluation of the mechanical properties and behavior of jointed rock masses is very important for the design of tunnel and underground openings, it has always been considered the most difficult problem. One of the difficulties in describing the rock mass behavior is the selection of the appropriate constitutive model. This limitation may be overcome with the progress in discrete element software such as PFC, which does not need the user to prescribe a constitutive model for rock mass. In this paper, a 30\;m\;\times\;30\;m\;\times\;30\;m m jointed rock mass of road tunnel site was analyzed. h discrete fracture network was developed from the joint geometry obtained from core logging and surface survey. Using the discontinuities geometry from the DFN model, PFC simulations were carried out, starting with the intact rock and systematically adding the joints and the stress-strain response was recorded for each case. With the stress-strain response curves, the mechanical properties of jointed rock masses were determined. As expected, the presence of joints had a pronounced effect on mechanical properties of the rock mass. More importantly, getting the mechanical response of the PFC model doesn't require a user specified constitutive model.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2008.03a
• /
• pp.159-169
• /
• 2008

In general, it is considered that a pillar between closely-spaced tunnel is sensitive for stress concentration. Stability of a pillar is key factor for excavation of closely-spaced tunnel. In this paper, the study is focused on tracing the behaviors, displacement and plotting damages around tunnels that is modelled with Particle Flow Code, $PFC^{2D}$. Parametric study was performed with changing distance between center of tunnels and coefficient of earth pressure(K). Scaled-model tests were also carried out to validate a numerical analysis model. It was found that $PFC^{2D}$ could show dynamic visualized result in quite good agreement with the experimental test.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.67 no.5
• /
• pp.505-516
• /
• 2018

In this paper, the effects of particle size and model scale of concrete has been investigated on the failure mechanism of PFC2D numerical models under uniaxial compressive test. For this purpose, rectangular models with same particle sizes and different model dimensions, i.e., $3mm{\times}6mm$, $6mm{\times}12mm$, $12mm{\times}24mm$, $25mm{\times}50mm$ and $54mm{\times}108mm$, were prepared. Also rectangular models with dimension of $54mm{\times}108mm$ and different particle sizes, i.e., 0.27 mm, 0.47 mm, 0.67 mm, 0.87 mm, 1.07 mm, 1.87 mm and 2.27 mm were simulated using PFC2D and tested under uniaxial compressive test. Concurrent with uniaxial test, direct shear test was performed on the numerical models. Dimension of the models were $75{\times}100mm$. Two narrow bands of particles with dimension of $37.5mm{\times}20mm$ were removed from upper and lower of the model to supply the shear test condition. The particle sizes in the models were 0.47 mm, 0.57 mm, 0.67 mm and 0.77 mm. The result shows that failure pattern was affected by model scale and particle size. The uniaxial compressive strength and shear strength were increased by increasing the model scale and particle size.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.1045-1055
• /
• 2017

Tensile strength is considered key properties for characterizing rock material in engineering project. It is determined by direct and indirect methods. Point load test is a useful testing method to estimate the tensile strengths of rocks. In this paper, the effects of rock shape on the point load index of gypsum are investigated by PFC2D simulation. For PFC simulating, initially calibration of PFC was performed with respect to the Brazilian experimental data to ensure the conformity of the simulated numerical models response. In second step, nineteen models with different shape were prepared and tested under point load test. According to the obtained results, as the size of the models increases, the point load strength index increases. It is also found that the shape of particles has no major effect on its tensile strength. Our findings show that the dominant failure pattern for numerical models is breaking the model into two pieces. Also a criterion was rendered numerically for determination of tensile strength of gypsum. The proposed criteria were cross checked with the results of experimental point load test.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
• /
• 2009.03a
• /
• pp.73-82
• /
• 2009

In order to find that how differences of delay time accuracy of ms,ds detonator applied to tunnel contour influences overbreak in tunnel blasting, it was analyzed using common program(Itasca CG, 2004)which was developed by individual factor method called "Partical Flow Code 2D(PFC2D). In result, overbreak and damage of country rock were reduced when the delay was more accurate than the inaccurate.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.659-670
• /
• 2024

The mechanical behaviour of layered concrete samples containing an internal crack was numerically studied by modelling the geo-mechanical specimens in the particle flow code in two dimensions (PFC2D). The numerical modelling software was calibrated with the experimental results of the Brazilian tensile strengths gained from the laboratory disc-type specimens. Then, the samples with the bedding layers and internal notch were numerically simulated with PFC2D under uniaxial compressive loading. In each specimen, the layers' thickness was 10 mm but the layer's inclination angle was changed to 0°, 30°, 60°, 90°, 120° and 150°. Of course, the layers'interfaces are considered to have very low strengths. The internal notch was kept at 3 cm in length however, its inclination angle was changed to 0°, 40°, 60° and 90°. Therefore, a total, of 24 numerical models were made to study the failure mechanism of the layered concrete samples. Considering these results, it has been concluded that the inclination angles of both internal crack and bedding layers affect the failure mechanism and uniaxial compressive strength of the concrete.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.357-366
• /
• 2021

Shear behavior dependent on the shape and roughness of rock joints can greatly influence the stability of the ground and rock structures. The efficient design of rock structures requires understanding of the shear behavior due to joints and accurate calculation of the shear strength. This work reports numerical shear tests using PFC2D on No. 1 (JCR-1), with smooth joints, and No. 7 (JRC-7) and No. 9 (JRC-9), with relatively rough joints, for the 10 shapes of standard joint profiles proposed by Barton and Choubey (1977). The aim was to investigate the shear behavior of rock joints with respect to their roughness. The results show the maximum shear stress to be about 3.2 to 5.0 times greater in the rougher JRC-7 and JRC-9 joints than in smoother JRC-1. The maximum shear displacement was approximately 4.1 to 5.8 times greater at the first normal stress than at the second. The rougher joints showed friction angles of the rock joints that were approximately 1.8 to 3.9 times greater than that in the smooth joint. Overall, increasing the rock joint roughness increased the maximum shear stress and friction angle.

• Explosives and Blasting
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.47-54
• /
• 2005

An explosion modeling technique was developed by using the spherical discrete element code, $PFC^{3D}$, which can be used to model the dynamic stress wave propagation phenomenon. The modeling technique is simply based on an idea that the explosion pressure should be applied to a $PFC^{3D}$ particle assembly not in the form of an external force (body force), but in the form of a contact force (surface force). A test blast was conducted for a RC column, whose dimension was $600\times300\times1800$ in millimeters. The initial velocities of the surface movements were measured to be in the range of $14\~18\;m/s$ with the initiation times of $1.5\~2.0m$. Then the blasting procedure was simulated by using the modeling technique. The particle assembly representing the concrete was made of cement mortar and coarse aggregates, whose mirco-properties were obtained from the calibration processes. As a result, the modeling technique developed in this study made it possible for the burden to move with the velocity of $17\~24\;m/s$, which are slightly higher values compared to those of the test blast.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.433-446
• /
• 2020

In this paper the effect of confining pressure and tunnel depth on the ground vertical settlement has been investigated using particle flow code (PFC2D). For this perpuse firstly calibration of PFC2D was performed using both of tensile test and triaxial test. Then a model with dimention of 100 m × 100 m was built. A circular tunnel with diameter of 20 m was drillled in the middle of the model. Also, a rectangular tunnel with wide of 10 m and length of 20 m was drilled in the model. The center of tunnel was situated 15 m, 20 m, 25 m, 30 m, 35 m, 40 m, 45 m, 50 m, 55 m and 60 m below the ground surface. these models are under confining pressure of 0.001 GPa, 0.005 GPa, 0.01 GPa, 0.03 GPa, 0.05 GPa and 0.07 GPa. The results show that the volume of colapce zone is constant by increasing the distance between ground surface and tunnel position. Also, the volume of colapce zone was increased by decreasing of confining pressure. The maximum of settlement occurs at the top of the tunnel roof. The maximum of settlement occurs when center of tunnel was situated 15 m below the ground surface. The settlement decreases by increasing the distance between tunnel center line and measuring circles in the ground surface. The minimum of settlement occurs when center of circular tunnel was situated 60 m below the surface ground. Its to be note that the settlement increase by decreasing the confining pressure.