• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.47-60
• /
• 2004

The permeability coefficients were calculated by the homogenization analysis method with sufficient consideration of fracture geometry dependent on aperture change. According to the results of aperture measurements using a confocal laser scanning microscope, apertures on each measuring point display different magnitudes, indicating that fracture walls can not be assumed as parallel feature. After construction of fracture model based on the aperture values measured on each pressure level, the homogenization analysis was conducted to compute permeability coefficients. The calculated permeability coefficients distribute in the ranges of $10^{-1}~10^{-3}cm/sec$. Most of the specimens show decreasing permeability coefficients with the increase of the applied pressure. However, the decreasing rates of permeability coefficients do not show a constant trend on each pressure level. This phenomenon is well matched to the observation results of Chae et al. (2003). It proves that aperture change strongly influences on permeability characteristics. Three sections of each specimen have all different values of permeability coefficient. It suggests that the variation of permeability coefficient depends sensitively on aperture magnitudes and characteristics of fracture geometry. It is very important to consider accurate fracture geometries for analysis of permeability characteristics in rock fractures bearing different aperture distribution. Therefore, it needs to consider sufficiently the fracture geometries for calculating the permeability coefficients of fractures.