Fracture evolution around pre-existing cylindrical cavities in brittle rocks under uniaxial compression

The development of fracture around pre-existing cylindrical cavities in brittle rocks was examined using physical models and acoustic emission technique. The experimental results indicate that when granite blocks containing one pre-existing cylindrical cavity are loaded in uniaxial compression condition, the profiles of cracks around the cavity can be characterized by tensile cracking (splitting parallel to the axial compression direction) at the roof–floor, compressive crack at two side walls, and remote or secondary cracks at the perimeter of the cavity. Moreover, fracture around cavity is size-dependent. In granite blocks containing pre-existing half-length cylindrical cavities, compressive stress concentration is found to initiate at the two sidewalls and induce shear crack propagation and coalescence. In granite blocks containing multiple parallel cylindrical cavities, the adjacent cylindrical cavities can influence each other and the eventual failure mode is determined by the interaction of tensile, compressive and shear stresses. Experimental results show that both tensile and compressive stresses play an important role in fracture evolution process around cavities in brittle rocks.