• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.251-265
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• 1995

One of the most important matters in stress measurement by hydraulic fracturing technique is the determination of the breakdown pressure, reopening pressure, and shut-in pressure, since these values are the basic input data for the calculation of the in-situ stress. The control of the fracture propagation is also important when the hydraulic fracturing technique is applied to the development of groundwater system, geothermal energy, oil, and natural gas. In this study, a laboratory scale hydraulic fracturing device was built and a series of model tests were conducted with cube blocks of Machon gabbro. A new method called 'flatjack method' was adopted to determine shut-in pressure. The initial stress calculated from the shut-in pressure measured by flatjack method showed much higher accuracy than the stress determined by the conventional method. The dependency of the direction of fracture propagation on the state of the initial stresses was measured by introducin g artificial slots in the borehole made by water jet system. Numerical modeling by BEM was also performed to simulate the fracture propagation process. Both results form numerical and laboratory tests showed good agreement. From this study which provides the extensive results on the determination of shut-in pressure and the control of fracture propagation which are the critical issue in the recent hydraulic fracturing, it is conclued that in-situ stress measurement and the control of fracture propagation could be achived more accurately.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.57-67
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• 2019

Water-induced strength reduction is one of the most critical causes for rock deformation and failure. Understanding the effects of water on the strength, toughness and deformability of rocks are of a great importance in rock fracture mechanics and design of structures in rock. However, only a few studies have been conducted to understand the effects of water on fracture properties such as fracture toughness, crack propagation velocity, consumed energy, and microstructural damage. Thus, in this study, we focused on the understanding of how microscale damages induced by water saturation affect mesoscale mechanical and fracture properties compared with oven dried specimens along three notch orientations-divider, arrester, and short transverse. The mechanical properties of calcite-cemented sandstone were examined using standard uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) tests. In addition, fracture properties such as fracture toughness, consumed energy and crack propagation velocity were examined with cracked chevron notched Brazilian disk (CCNBD) tests. Digital Image Correlation (DIC), a non-contact optical measurement technique, was used for both strain and crack propagation velocity measurements along the bedding plane orientations. Finally, environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) was employed to investigate the microstructural damages produced in calcite-cemented sandstone specimens before and after CCNBD tests. As results, both mechanical and fracture properties reduced significantly when specimens were saturated. The effects of water on fracture properties (fracture toughness and consumed energy) were predominant in divider specimens when compared with arrester and short transverse specimens. Whereas crack propagation velocity was faster in short transverse and slower in arrester, and intermediate in divider specimens. Based on ESEM data, water in the calcite-cemented sandstone induced microstructural damages (microcracks and voids) and increased the strength disparity between cement/matrix and rock forming mineral grains, which in turn reduced the crack propagation resistance of the rock, leading to lower both consumed energy and fracture toughness ($K_{IC}$).

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.170-179
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• 2000

The objective of this study is to develop an analytical module for the prediction of burr formation during cutting process using the finite element method. This module is based on the rigid-plastic finite element method, ductile fracture criterion, fracture propagation technique and node separation criterion. The sequence of burr formation from burr initiation through end of burr formation is simulated and investigated by this module. The effect of material properties, such as AL6061-T6, AL2024-T4 and Copper, and cutting condition, such as rake angle and cutting depth, on burr formation is also discussed in this study. To validate this module the analysis results are compared with experimental ones.

• Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.31-50
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• 1996

In this paper, a finite element analysis based on the local approach concept to fracture in the continuum damage mechanics is performed to analyze ductile fracture in two dimensional quasi-static state. First an isotropic damage model based on the generalized concept of effective stress is proposed for structural materials in the context of large deformation. In this model, the stiffness degradation is taken as a measure of damage and so, the fracture phenomenon can be explained as the critical deterioration of stiffness at a material point. The modified Riks' continuation technique is used to solve incremental iterative equations. Crack propagation is achieved by removing critically damaged elements. The mesh size sensitivity analysis and the simulation of the well known shearing mode failure in plane strain state are carried out to verify the present formulation. As numerical examples, an edge cracked plate and the specimen with a circular hole under plane stress are taken. Load-displacement curves and successively fractured shapes are shown. From the results, it can be concluded that the proposed model based on the local approach concept in the continuum damage mechanics may be stated as a reasonable tool to explain ductile fracture initiation and crack propagation.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.153-172
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• 2014

In order to investigate the effect of different perforation angles (the angle between the perforation direction and the maximum horizontal principal stress) on the fracture initiation and propagation during hydraulic fracturing of highly deviated well in oil & gas saturated formation, laboratory experiments of the hydraulic fracturing had been carried out on the basis of non-dimensional similar criteria by using 400^3 $mm^3$ cement cubes. A plane fracture can be produced when the perforations are placed in the direction of the maximum horizontal principal stress. When the perforation angle is $45^{\circ}$, the fractures firstly initiate from the perforations at the upper side of the wellbore, and then turn to the maximum horizontal principal stress direction. When the well deviation angle and perforation angle are both between $45^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$, the fractures hardly initiate from the perforations at the lower side of the wellbore. Well azimuth (the angle between the wellbore axis and the maximum horizontal principal stress) has a little influence on the fracture geometries; however it mainly increases the fracture roughness, fracture continuity and the number of secondary fractures, and also increases the fracture initiation and propagation pressure. Oriented perforating technology should be applied in highly deviated well to obtain a single plane fracture. If the well deviation angle is smaller, the fractures may link up.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2000.04b
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• pp.324-331
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• 2000

In this study, a new algorithm analyzing dynamic crack propagation problem by the coupling technique of Meshfree Method and Finite Element Method is proposed. The coupling procedure of two methods is presented with a short description of Meshfree Method especially, Element-free Galerkin (EFG) method. The elastodynamic fracture theory is presented, and a numerical implementation procedure for dynamic fracture analysis by Meshfree Method is also discussed. A couple of dynamic crack propagation problems illustrate the performance of the propsed technique. The accuracy of numerical solutions by the developed algorithm are compared with those of analytical solutions and experimental ones.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.18-24
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• 2002

This study verified the relationship between fracture mechanics parameters(${\Delta}K,\;K_{max}$) and X-ray parameters ($(\sigma}_r,;B$) for G365 steel at elevated temperature up to $300{\circ}C$. The fatigue crack propagation test were carried out and X-ray diffraction technique according to crack length direction was applied to fatigue fractured surface. The residual stress on the fracture surface was found to increase in low ${\Delta}K$ region, reach to a maximum value at a certain value of $K_{max}$ or ${\Delta}K$ and then decrease. Residual stress was independent on stress ratio by arrangement of ${\Delta}K$ and half value breadth was independent by the arrangement of $K_{max}$. The equation of ${\sigma}_r-{\Delta}K$ was established by the experimental data. Therefore, fracture mechanics parameters could be estimated by the measurement of X-ray parameters.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.50-55
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• 1991

It is well known that mechanisms of fracture and crack growth depend upon material characteristics such as fracture toughness, environmental condition, cracd geometry and mechanical properties. It seems to be very important to investihate the effects of the above factors on the behavior of structural components which contain flaws for the detailed evaluation of their intehrity. In this experimental research, fracture behaviors of moterials were investigated by using Acoustic Emission(AE) technique. The fracturing processes of materials were estimated through both the tension specimens. For the detrmlnatlon of yied strength or fracture toughness, the critical applied load at the crack initiation and propagation is thought to be very important. The critical applied load(PQ) was determined through AE signal. The source of AE signal was estimated by fractography analysis. These experimental results may contribute to the safety analyses and the evaluation of strength of structures.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.447-456
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• 1996

Fracture surfaces of materials contain useful information ranging from crack path to the mechanism of fracture. Since limitation of electron transparency requires a sample in the form of thin foil for TEM observations, it is impossible to extract such information directly from the fracture surfaces. In this study, the method of surface replication from the ceramic fracture surface is employed to characterize the process of crack propagation in ceramic matrix composites using TEM analysis. The surface replica from the fracture surface in ceramic materials provides detailed surface morphology and more importantly, loosened particles on the fracture surface are collected. Electron diffraction and chemical composition analyses of these particles reveal crack path in the specimen. Furthermore, one can determine the mode of fracture by observing the fracture surface morphology from the image of replica. Two examples are given to illustrate the potential of the surface replication technique. In the first example, apparent toughness increase in $B_{4}C-Al$ composites at high strain rate is investigated by surface replication to elucidate the mechanism of fracture at different strain rates. The polytypes of SiC formed during the sintering of SiC-AlN composite and their effect on the fracture behavior of SiC-AlN composite are analyzed in the second example.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1995.10a
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• pp.171-177
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• 1995

Fracture mechanics does work for concrete, provided that one uses a proper, nonlinear form of fracture mechanics in which a finite nonlinear zone at fracture front is being considered. The fracture process zone is a region ahead of a traction-free crack, and the development of model of fracture process zone is most important to describe fracture phenomena in concrete. This paper is about fracture behavior of concrete cylinder under lateral pressure. Concrete cylinders were made of high strength normal connote, steel fiber reinforced concrete and steel fiber reinforced polymer-impregnated concrete and concrete and the fracture behavior such as cracking propagation and ultimate load are observed. The fracture process zone is modelled by a Dugdale-Barenblatt type model with linear tension-softening curve and are implemented to the boundary element technique for the fracture analyses of the cylinders. The experimental results are compared with analysis results and tension-softening curves for the steel fiber reinforced concrete and steel fiber reinforced polymer-impregnated concrete are obtained by back analyses.