Comparison between controlled laboratory experiments and discrete particle simulations of the mechanical behaviour of rock

Stress dependent P- and S-wave velocities in uncemented assemblies of glass beads were computed using a Hertzian contact law, and a satisfactory correspondence with laboratory data was obtained without any fitting parameters. The discrete particle model was able to reproduce the observed dependence of unconfined strength and Young's modulus on cement content. The initial experiments presented here demonstrate the potential of using discrete particle modelling as a numerical laboratory for studies of rock mechanical behaviour.