Shape matters: DEM investigation of geometry-controlled mechanical response in irregular rock fragments under static and dynamic loading
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Mechanical characterization of subsurface rock formations typically requires standardized cylindrical core specimens, which are often unavailable from fractured or unconventional reservoir sequences. This study uses a Discrete Element Method (DEM) framework calibrated to Sulphur Mountain Formation siltstone to investigate how fragment geometry governs mechanical response in irregular rock particles, which are direct analogues of drill cuttings. Nineteen specimens (18 procedurally generated irregular geometries and one reference Brazilian disk), normalized to a 10 mm bounding sphere radius, were tested under quasi-static (Brazilian-type) and dynamic (Short Impact Load Cell) loading modes. Four mechanical outputs of failure force (Ff), apparent strength (σf), apparent stiffness (Ka), and stiffness (E) were regressed against seven retained shape descriptors. Results show that force-based quantities are strongly controlled by the surface-area-to-volume (SA/V) ratio under static loading (Adj. R2 = 0.69), while area-normalized quantities (σf and E) are geometrically insensitive. Dynamic loading amplifies geometric sensitivity for failure force and introduces an independent role for surface concavity depth. These findings establish a preliminary quantitative framework for interpreting mechanical measurements from irregular rock fragments when a standardized core is unavailable.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Institution: University of Alberta
Language: English
Topic: Rock Mechanics and Modeling
Subfield: Mechanics of Materials
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7214207192