SEMINARI DICAM 2013-2014

1. SEMINARI DICAM 2013-2014 Numerical simulations of scale effects for naturally fractured rock masses and implications for rock mass strength characterisation. DAVIDE ELMO, Assistant Professor School of Mining Engineering University of British Columbia Vancouver , CANADA GIOVEDI’ 17 OTTOBRE, ore 16 AULA 0.6 http://mining.ubc.ca/about/people/davide-elmo/

2. Numerical simulations of scale effects for naturally fractured rock masses and implications for rock mass strength characterisation Abstract: It is largely recognized that the uncertainty in predicting the mechanical behavior of naturally fractured masses is associated with scale effects. Discrete fracture network (DFN) and Finite/Discrete Element models provide useful tools for the studying and characterization of rock mass strength at different scale under different loading conditions, including compression, shear and tensile loading. This approach allows to fully consider inhomogeneous spatial distribution of fractures and anisotropic behaviour, therefore deformation and failure mechanisms can be simulated in a more realistic way. Important concepts such as the definition of representative elementary volume (REV) for a naturally fractured rock mass and the reduction of rock mass strength with increasing volume are also reviewed in this presentation. Applications include numerical modelling of hard rock pillars, slope stability, rock mass fragmentation and block cave mining. The examples provided show that numerical simulations of rock mass behaviour (synthetic rock mass modelling) strongly depend on the geological assumptions used to build the DFN models and the mechanical properties of the natural discontinuities. Ultimately, to be effective, the use of synthetic rock mass properties requires a correct balance of engineering judgment, the integration of characterized field data, and numerical modelling.