Prediction of fracture trajectory in anisotropic rocks using modified maximum tangential stress criterion

A new criterion to predict crack propagation trajectory in anisotropic rocks with incorporating the concept of T-stress in formulating stress field near the crack tip was developed. The developed criterion along with enrichment functions and interaction integral in the extended finite element method (XFEM) framework made a sophisticated tool in modeling fracturing process in anisotropic media. Numerical results indicated that stress intensity factors considerably depend on orientation of anisotropy axes and ratio of the elastic modulus. The proposed formulation for anisotropic media provides a more accurate prediction of crack propagation trajectory compared with conventional methods, especially in mixed mode conditions.