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Role of interfacial strength properties in determining bulk mechanical properties in block-in-matrix rocks

S.-H. Yoo & Y. Park

ABSTRACT: For the investigation of the role of interfacial strengths in bulk mechanical properties of block-in-matrix rocks, numerical biaxial compression tests using PFC2D were carried out while changing block-to-matrix interfacial strengths and volume proportion of circular blocks (0 to 56 percent). Three sets of numerical tests were performed for three different interfacial parallel-bond strengths: 0.1×, 0.8×, and 1.5× of the parallel-bond strength between matrix elements. From the PFC experiments, it is found that the patterns of changes in the bulk mechanical properties with increasing volume proportion of blocks are strikingly different depending on the choice of interfacial strength. Our results suggest that caution must be exercised in choosing the value of interfacial mechanical properties, for umerical determination of mechanical properties of block-in-matrix rocks, and also for laboratory analog experiments intended to simulate natural block-in-matrix rocks.

Available in Continuum and Distinct Element Numerical Modeling in Geo-Engineering - 2008

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