Paper Title:

Numerical Study of Crack Propagation in Stiff Clays

Periodical Key Engineering Materials (Volumes 324 - 325)
Main Theme Fracture and Damage Mechanics V
Edited by M.H. Aliabadi, Qingfen Li, Li Li and F.-G. Buchholz
Pages 201-204
DOI 10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.324-325.201
Citation Shan Yong Wang et al., 2006, Key Engineering Materials, 324-325, 201
Online since November, 2006
Authors Shan Yong Wang, K.C. Lam, Ivan W.H. Fung, Wan Cheng Zhu, Tao Xu, Lian Chong Li
Keywords Clay, Failure Process, Fracture, Heterogeneity, Numerical Method
Price US$ 28,-
Article Preview
View full size
Abstract

Many stiff clays forming part of natural slopes and earth dams exist in the fissured state. When these cracks are subjected to gravity induced normal and shear stresses they may propagate. The present discussion presents a numerical method to study the propagation direction of cracks under stress fields similar to those found in the field. Not only did the results on one crack propagation direction obtained from the numerical method and the analytical results agree well, but numerical results have been used to investigate the mechanisms of the whole process of two horizontal cracks initiation and propagation and coalescence in stiff soils.