Numerical Simulation of Mechanical Properties of Non-Standard Rock Specimens Under Uniaxial Compression
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Uniaxial compression testing provides essential mechanical property characterization for intact rock specimens. The accuracy of specimen preparation critically affects compression test results through end-surface geometry deviations: parallelism, perpendicularity, and diameter tolerance. Specimen end-surface parallelism is affected by surface irregularities (e.g., protrusions, warping), whereas perpendicularity deviations indicate angular misalignment of the specimen with the loading axis. This study develops a 3D uniaxial compression model using RFPA3D, with rigid loading plates to simulate realistic boundary conditions. Three typical end-surface defects are modeled: protrusions (central/eccentric), grooves, and unilateral warping. Specimens with varying tilt angles are generated to evaluate perpendicularity deviations. Simulation results reveal that central end-surface protrusions induce: (1) localized stress concentration, which forms a dense core, and (2) pronounced wedging failure when protrusion height exceeds critical thresholds. Eccentric protrusions trigger characteristic shear failure modes, while unilateral warping causes localized failure through stress concentration at the deformed region. Importantly, end-surface grooves substantially alter stress distributions, generating bilateral stress concentration zones when groove width exceeds critical dimensions.
Source: Applied Sciences
DOI: 10.3390/app152111756
Authors: Fangcai Zhu, Ling Sun, Mengchang Ma, Jiang Guo, Xuebin Xie
Institutions: Hunan University of Technology, Central South University
Language: English
Topic: Rock Mechanics and Modeling
Subfield: Mechanics of Materials
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,896
Award: G32479119
OpenAlex ID: W4415872254
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