Improved Block Element Method for Simulating Rock Failure
As a discontinuous deformation method, the block element method (BEM) characterizes a material’s elastoplastic behavior through the constitutive relation of thin-layer elements between adjacent blocks. To realistically simulate rock damage paths, this work improves the traditional BEM by using rando...
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MDPI AG
2025-08-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8636 |
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| author | Yan Han Qingwen Ren Lei Shen Yajuan Yin |
| author_facet | Yan Han Qingwen Ren Lei Shen Yajuan Yin |
| author_sort | Yan Han |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As a discontinuous deformation method, the block element method (BEM) characterizes a material’s elastoplastic behavior through the constitutive relation of thin-layer elements between adjacent blocks. To realistically simulate rock damage paths, this work improves the traditional BEM by using random Voronoi polygonal grids for discrete modeling. This approach mitigates the distortion of damage paths caused by regular grids through the randomness of the Voronoi grids. As the innovation of this work, the iterative algorithm is combined with polygonal geometric features so that the area–perimeter fractal dimension can be introduced to optimize random Voronoi grids. The iterative control index can effectively improve the geometric characteristics of the grid while maintaining the necessary randomness. On this basis, a constitutive relation model that considers both normal and tangential damage is proposed. The entire process from damage initiation to macroscopic fracture failure in rocks is described using two independent damage surfaces and a damage relationship based on geometric mapping relationships. The analysis results are in good agreement with existing experimental data. Furthermore, the sensitivity method is used to analyze the influence of key mechanical parameters in the constitutive model. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b45b53f8c1654bf6b5b6c28ea1d9f5e9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-b45b53f8c1654bf6b5b6c28ea1d9f5e92025-08-20T04:00:50ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-08-011515863610.3390/app15158636Improved Block Element Method for Simulating Rock FailureYan Han0Qingwen Ren1Lei Shen2Yajuan Yin3College of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, ChinaCollege of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, ChinaCollege of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, ChinaAs a discontinuous deformation method, the block element method (BEM) characterizes a material’s elastoplastic behavior through the constitutive relation of thin-layer elements between adjacent blocks. To realistically simulate rock damage paths, this work improves the traditional BEM by using random Voronoi polygonal grids for discrete modeling. This approach mitigates the distortion of damage paths caused by regular grids through the randomness of the Voronoi grids. As the innovation of this work, the iterative algorithm is combined with polygonal geometric features so that the area–perimeter fractal dimension can be introduced to optimize random Voronoi grids. The iterative control index can effectively improve the geometric characteristics of the grid while maintaining the necessary randomness. On this basis, a constitutive relation model that considers both normal and tangential damage is proposed. The entire process from damage initiation to macroscopic fracture failure in rocks is described using two independent damage surfaces and a damage relationship based on geometric mapping relationships. The analysis results are in good agreement with existing experimental data. Furthermore, the sensitivity method is used to analyze the influence of key mechanical parameters in the constitutive model.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8636improved block element methodrock fracture analysisVoronoi tessellationfractal dimensionconstitutive modelsensitivity analysis |
| spellingShingle | Yan Han Qingwen Ren Lei Shen Yajuan Yin Improved Block Element Method for Simulating Rock Failure Applied Sciences improved block element method rock fracture analysis Voronoi tessellation fractal dimension constitutive model sensitivity analysis |
| title | Improved Block Element Method for Simulating Rock Failure |
| title_full | Improved Block Element Method for Simulating Rock Failure |
| title_fullStr | Improved Block Element Method for Simulating Rock Failure |
| title_full_unstemmed | Improved Block Element Method for Simulating Rock Failure |
| title_short | Improved Block Element Method for Simulating Rock Failure |
| title_sort | improved block element method for simulating rock failure |
| topic | improved block element method rock fracture analysis Voronoi tessellation fractal dimension constitutive model sensitivity analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8636 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yanhan improvedblockelementmethodforsimulatingrockfailure AT qingwenren improvedblockelementmethodforsimulatingrockfailure AT leishen improvedblockelementmethodforsimulatingrockfailure AT yajuanyin improvedblockelementmethodforsimulatingrockfailure |