• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.321-333
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• 2023

Rock masses often contain natural fractures of varying sizes, and the size of the natural fractures may affect the propagation of hydraulic fractures. We conduct a series of triaxial hydraulic fracturing tests to investigate the effect of the pre-existing fracture size a on hydraulic fracture propagation. Experimental results show that the pre-existing fracture size impacts hydraulic fracture propagation. As the pre-existing fracture size increases, the hydraulic fracture propagates towards the pre-existing fracture tips, evidenced by the decreased distance between the final hydraulic fracture and the pre-existing fracture tips. Furthermore, the attracting effect of pre-existing fracture tips increases when the distance between the wellbore and the pre-existing fracture is short (L/D=2 or 4 in this study). With increased distance between the wellbore and the pre-existing fracture (L/D=6 in this study), the hydraulic fracture propagates to the middle of the pre-existing fracture rather than the tips, as the attracting effect of the pre-existing fracture diminishes.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.57-67
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• 2019

Water-induced strength reduction is one of the most critical causes for rock deformation and failure. Understanding the effects of water on the strength, toughness and deformability of rocks are of a great importance in rock fracture mechanics and design of structures in rock. However, only a few studies have been conducted to understand the effects of water on fracture properties such as fracture toughness, crack propagation velocity, consumed energy, and microstructural damage. Thus, in this study, we focused on the understanding of how microscale damages induced by water saturation affect mesoscale mechanical and fracture properties compared with oven dried specimens along three notch orientations-divider, arrester, and short transverse. The mechanical properties of calcite-cemented sandstone were examined using standard uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) tests. In addition, fracture properties such as fracture toughness, consumed energy and crack propagation velocity were examined with cracked chevron notched Brazilian disk (CCNBD) tests. Digital Image Correlation (DIC), a non-contact optical measurement technique, was used for both strain and crack propagation velocity measurements along the bedding plane orientations. Finally, environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) was employed to investigate the microstructural damages produced in calcite-cemented sandstone specimens before and after CCNBD tests. As results, both mechanical and fracture properties reduced significantly when specimens were saturated. The effects of water on fracture properties (fracture toughness and consumed energy) were predominant in divider specimens when compared with arrester and short transverse specimens. Whereas crack propagation velocity was faster in short transverse and slower in arrester, and intermediate in divider specimens. Based on ESEM data, water in the calcite-cemented sandstone induced microstructural damages (microcracks and voids) and increased the strength disparity between cement/matrix and rock forming mineral grains, which in turn reduced the crack propagation resistance of the rock, leading to lower both consumed energy and fracture toughness ($K_{IC}$).

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.13-19
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• 2015

This paper presents a hydraulic fracture propagation model to describe propagation more realistically. In propagating the hydraulic fractures, we have used two criteria: maximum tangential stress to determine the fracture initiation angle and whether a hydraulic fracture intersects a natural fracture. The model was validated for the parameters relevant to fracture propagation, such as initiation angle and crossing ability through natural fracture. In order to check whether a hydraulic fracture crosses a natural fracture, the model results on crossing state excellently matched with the experimental data. In the sensitivity analysis for direction of maximum horizontal stress, frictional coefficient of fracture interface, and natural fracture orientation, the results show that hydraulic fracture intersects natural fracture, and then, propagated suitably with theoretical results according to fracture interaction criterion. In comparison of this model against vertical fracture approach, it was ascertained that there are discrepancies in fracture connectivity and stimulated reservoir volume.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.13-18
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• 2004

The objective of this study is to investigate fracture toughness and fatigue crack propagation behavior in the Reduced Activation Ferritic Steel (RAFs) JLF-I. The fracture toughness tests were performed with various size(plane size and thickness) and various side groove of specimens. The fatigue crack propagation behavior of the JLF-I steel was investigated by the constant-amplitude loading test for the stress ratios R=O.I, 0.3 and 0.5 respectively. The effects of stress ratios and specimen size on the fatigue crack growth behaviors for JLF-I steel were discussed within the Paris law. The test results showed the standard CT specimen with the side groove of 40 % represented a valid fracture toughness. The fracture resistance curve increased with increasing plane size and decreased with increasing thickness. However, the fracture resistance curve of half size specimen was similar to that of the standard specimen. The fatigue crack propagation rate of a half size specimen was similar to that of a full size specimen at the stress ratios of 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 respectively. The fatigue crack propagation behavior of this material were evaluated by using a half size specimen.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.35-47
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• 2018

This paper investigates the mechanisms of tunnel spalling and massive tunnel failures using fracture mechanics principles. The study starts with examining the fracture propagation due to tensile and shear failure mechanisms. It was found that, fundamentally, in rock masses with high compressive stresses, tensile fracture propagation is often a stable process which leads to a gradual failure. Shear fracture propagation tends to be an unstable process. Several real case observations of spalling failures and massive shear failures in boreholes, tunnels and underground roadways are shown in the paper. A number of numerical models were used to investigate the fracture mechanisms and extents in the roof/wall of a deep tunnel and in an underground coal mine roadway. The modelling was done using a unique fracture mechanics code FRACOD which simulates explicitly the fracture initiation and propagation process. The study has demonstrated that both tensile and shear fracturing may occur in the vicinity of an underground opening. Shallow spalling in the tunnel wall is believed to be caused by tensile fracturing from extensional strain although no tensile stress exists there. Massive large scale failure however is most likely to be caused by shear fracturing under high compressive stresses. The observation that tunnel spalling often starts when the hoop stress reaches $0.4^*UCS$ has been explained in this paper by using the extension strain criterion. At this uniaxial compressive stress level, the lateral extensional strain is equivalent to the critical strain under uniaxial tension. Scale effect on UCS commonly believed by many is unlikely the dominant factor in this phenomenon.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.251-265
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• 1995

One of the most important matters in stress measurement by hydraulic fracturing technique is the determination of the breakdown pressure, reopening pressure, and shut-in pressure, since these values are the basic input data for the calculation of the in-situ stress. The control of the fracture propagation is also important when the hydraulic fracturing technique is applied to the development of groundwater system, geothermal energy, oil, and natural gas. In this study, a laboratory scale hydraulic fracturing device was built and a series of model tests were conducted with cube blocks of Machon gabbro. A new method called 'flatjack method' was adopted to determine shut-in pressure. The initial stress calculated from the shut-in pressure measured by flatjack method showed much higher accuracy than the stress determined by the conventional method. The dependency of the direction of fracture propagation on the state of the initial stresses was measured by introducin g artificial slots in the borehole made by water jet system. Numerical modeling by BEM was also performed to simulate the fracture propagation process. Both results form numerical and laboratory tests showed good agreement. From this study which provides the extensive results on the determination of shut-in pressure and the control of fracture propagation which are the critical issue in the recent hydraulic fracturing, it is conclued that in-situ stress measurement and the control of fracture propagation could be achived more accurately.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.547-555
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• 2012

Measuring crack length in concrete fracture test is not a trivial problem due to high speed crack propagation. In this study, mechanoluminascent (ML) material, which emits visible light under stress condition, was employed to visualize crack propagation during concrete fracture test. Three-point bending test was conducted with a notched concrete beam specimen. The cracking images due to ML phenomenon were recorded by using a high speed camera as a function of time and external loadings. The experimental results successfully demonstrated the capability of ML material as a promising visualization tool for concrete crack propagation. In addition, an interesting cracking behavior of concrete bending fracture was observed in which the crack propagated fast while the load decreased slowly at early fracture stage.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.439-452
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• 1999

A simple numerical scheme suitable for tracing the fracture propagation path for structures idealized by means of Hillerborg's classical cohesive crack model is presented. A direct collocation, multidomain boundary element method is adopted for the required space discretization. The algorithm proposed is necessarily iterative in nature since the crack itinerary is a priori unknown. The fracture process is assumed to be governed by a path-dependent generally nonlinear softening law. The potentialities of the method are illustrated through two examples.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.3-9
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• 1996

Dynamic fracture characteristics of Polycarbonate WL-RDCB specimen were investigated. The dynamic crack propagation velocities in these specimens were measured by using both high speed camera system and silver paint grid method developed and justified in the INHA Fracture Mechanics Laboratory. The measured crack propagation velocities were fed into the INSAMCR code(a dynamic finite element code which has been developed in the INBA Fracture Mechanics Laboratory) to extract the dynamic stress intensity factors. It has been confirmed that both dynamic crack arrest toughness and the static crack arrest toughness depend on both the geometry and the dynamic crack propagation velocity of specimens. The maximum dynamic crack propagation velocity of Polycarbonate WL-RDCB specimen was found to be dependent on the material property, geometry and the type of loading. The dynamic cracks in these Polycarbonate WL-RDCB specimens seemed to propagate in a successive manner, involving distinguished 'propagation-arrest-propagation-arrest' steps on the microsecond time scale. It was also found that the relat-ionship between dynamic stress intensity factor and dynamic crack propagation velocities might be represented by the typical '$\Gamma$'shape.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.23 no.6 s.165
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• pp.1026-1038
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• 1999

Interlaminar fracture toughness of carbon/epoxy composite materials has been studied under tensile and flexural loading by the use of width tapered double cantilever beam(WTDCB) and end notched flexure(ENF) specimens. This study has significantly examined the effect of various interfacial ply orientation, ${\alpha}(0^{\circ},\;45^{\circ}\;and\;90^{\circ})$ and crack propagation direction, ${\theta}(0^{\circ},\;15^{\circ},\;30^{\circ}\;and\;45^{\circ})$ in terms of critical strain energy release rate through experiments. Twelve differently layered laminates were investigated. The data reduction for evaluating the fracture energy is based on compliance method and beam theory. Beam theory is used to analyze the effect of crack propagation direction. The geometry and lay-up sequence of specimens are considered various conditions such as skewness parameter, beam volume, and so on. The results show that the fiber bridging occurred due to the non-midplane crack propagation and causes the difference of fracture energy evaluated by both methods. For safer and more reliable composite structures, we obtain the optimal stacking sequence from initial fracture energy in each mode.