Numerical simulation of damage and failure in brittle rocks using a modified rigid block spring method

This paper is devoted to the numerical simulation of damage and failure in brittle rocks using a modified rigid block spring method. The brittle rocks are represented by an assembly of rigid blocks based on a Voronoi diagram. The macroscopic mechanical behavior is related to that of interfaces between blocks. The mechanical behavior of each interface is described by a uniform distribution of normal and tangential springs, which together define the deformation and failure process of the interface. The elastic stiffness of springs can explicitly be related to the macroscopic elastic properties of material. The local failure process of interface is controlled by both normal stress and shear stress. Both tensile and shear failures are considered. Numerical simulations are presented and compared with experimental data to show the performance of the proposed model.