Modeling crack propagation path of anisotropic rocks using boundary element method

In a cracked material, the stress intensity factors (SIFs) at the crack tips, which govern the crack propagation and are associated with the strength of the material, are strongly affected by the crack inclination angle and the orientation with respect to the principal direction of anisotropy. In this paper, a formulation of the boundary element method (BEM), based on the relative displacements of the crack tip, is used to determine the mixed-mode SIFs of isotropic and anisotropic rocks. Numerical examples of the application of the formulation for different crack inclination angles, crack lengths, and degree of material anisotropy are presented. Furthermore, the BEM formulation combined with the maximum circumferential stress criterion is adopted to predict the crack initiation angles and simulate the crack propagation paths. The propagation path in cracked straight through Brazilian disc specimen is numerically predicted and the results of numerical and experimental data compared with the actual laboratory observations. Good agreement is found between the two approaches. The proposed BEM formulation is therefore Suitable to simulate the process of crack propagation. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.