Rock brittleness indices and their applications to different fields of rock engineering: A review
Brittleness is an important parameter controlling the mechanical behavior and failure characteristics of rocks under loading and unloading conditions, such as fracability, cutability, drillability and rockburst proneness. As such, it is of high practical value to correctly evaluate rock brittleness....
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doaj-8f24ef17eeef4aa8b5c87a9b3f7bc36d2021-03-03T04:20:38ZengElsevierJournal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering1674-77552021-02-01131221247Rock brittleness indices and their applications to different fields of rock engineering: A reviewFanzhen Meng0Louis Ngai Yuen Wong1Hui Zhou2College of Science, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, 266033, China; Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, ChinaDepartment of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China; Corresponding author.State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, ChinaBrittleness is an important parameter controlling the mechanical behavior and failure characteristics of rocks under loading and unloading conditions, such as fracability, cutability, drillability and rockburst proneness. As such, it is of high practical value to correctly evaluate rock brittleness. However, the definition and measurement method of rock brittleness have been very diverse and not yet been standardized. In this paper, the definitions of rock brittleness are firstly reviewed, and several representative definitions of rock brittleness are identified and briefly discussed. The development and role of rock brittleness in different fields of rock engineering are also studied. Eighty brittleness indices publicly available in rock mechanics literature are compiled, and the measurement method, applicability and limitations of some indices are discussed. The results show that (1) the large number of brittleness indices and brittleness definitions is attributed to the different foci on the rock behavior when it breaks; (2) indices developed in one field usually are not directly applicable to other fields; and (3) the term “brittleness” is sometimes misused, and many empirically-obtained brittleness indices, which lack theoretical basis, fail to truly reflect rock brittleness. On the basis of this review, three measurement methods are identified, i.e. (1) elastic deformation before fracture, (2) shape of post-peak stress–strain curves, and (3) methods based on fracture mechanics theory, which have the potential to be further refined and unified to become the standard measurement methods of rock brittleness. It is highly beneficial for the rock mechanics community to develop a robust definition of rock brittleness. This study will undoubtedly provide a comprehensive timely reference for selecting an appropriate brittleness index for their applications, and will also pave the way for the development of a standard definition and measurement method of rock brittleness in the long term.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S167477552030127XRock brittlenessPractical applicabilityHydraulic fracturingRockburst pronenessCrack propagationFragmentation efficiency |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Fanzhen Meng Louis Ngai Yuen Wong Hui Zhou |
spellingShingle |
Fanzhen Meng Louis Ngai Yuen Wong Hui Zhou Rock brittleness indices and their applications to different fields of rock engineering: A review Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering Rock brittleness Practical applicability Hydraulic fracturing Rockburst proneness Crack propagation Fragmentation efficiency |
author_facet |
Fanzhen Meng Louis Ngai Yuen Wong Hui Zhou |
author_sort |
Fanzhen Meng |
title |
Rock brittleness indices and their applications to different fields of rock engineering: A review |
title_short |
Rock brittleness indices and their applications to different fields of rock engineering: A review |
title_full |
Rock brittleness indices and their applications to different fields of rock engineering: A review |
title_fullStr |
Rock brittleness indices and their applications to different fields of rock engineering: A review |
title_full_unstemmed |
Rock brittleness indices and their applications to different fields of rock engineering: A review |
title_sort |
rock brittleness indices and their applications to different fields of rock engineering: a review |
publisher |
Elsevier |
series |
Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering |
issn |
1674-7755 |
publishDate |
2021-02-01 |
description |
Brittleness is an important parameter controlling the mechanical behavior and failure characteristics of rocks under loading and unloading conditions, such as fracability, cutability, drillability and rockburst proneness. As such, it is of high practical value to correctly evaluate rock brittleness. However, the definition and measurement method of rock brittleness have been very diverse and not yet been standardized. In this paper, the definitions of rock brittleness are firstly reviewed, and several representative definitions of rock brittleness are identified and briefly discussed. The development and role of rock brittleness in different fields of rock engineering are also studied. Eighty brittleness indices publicly available in rock mechanics literature are compiled, and the measurement method, applicability and limitations of some indices are discussed. The results show that (1) the large number of brittleness indices and brittleness definitions is attributed to the different foci on the rock behavior when it breaks; (2) indices developed in one field usually are not directly applicable to other fields; and (3) the term “brittleness” is sometimes misused, and many empirically-obtained brittleness indices, which lack theoretical basis, fail to truly reflect rock brittleness. On the basis of this review, three measurement methods are identified, i.e. (1) elastic deformation before fracture, (2) shape of post-peak stress–strain curves, and (3) methods based on fracture mechanics theory, which have the potential to be further refined and unified to become the standard measurement methods of rock brittleness. It is highly beneficial for the rock mechanics community to develop a robust definition of rock brittleness. This study will undoubtedly provide a comprehensive timely reference for selecting an appropriate brittleness index for their applications, and will also pave the way for the development of a standard definition and measurement method of rock brittleness in the long term. |
topic |
Rock brittleness Practical applicability Hydraulic fracturing Rockburst proneness Crack propagation Fragmentation efficiency |
url |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S167477552030127X |
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