A NEW APPROACH TO NUMERICAL-METHOD OF MODELING GEOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND ROCK ENGINEERING PROBLEMS - CONTINUUM TO DISCONTINUUM AND LINEARITYTO NONLINEARITY

Numerical modelling as an efficient method is widely employed in vario us fields of science and engineering. In rock mechanics and geomechani cs, considerable progress has been made in numerical simulation on non linear and discontinuum problems. However, there is a tendency in this field that the theoretical framework for nonlinear and discontinuum p roblems becomes more and more complicated and sometimes becomes less p racticable. This paper gives a brief introduction to a newly developed numerical code, RFPA(2D) (rock failure process analysis), which is ma thematically a linear and continuum mechanics method for numerically p rocessing nonlinear and discontinuum mechanics problems in rock failur e. Although it is simple comparing with other numerical methods for no nlinear and discontinuum problems. It allows one to model the observed evolution of the progressive failure leading to collapse in brittle r ocks. An important conclusion from the simulation results is that the microscale heterogeneity is the source of macroscale nonlinearity. Exa mples showing the potential applications are given in this paper. It c an be seen that the RFPA(2D) has a unique ability to reveal the evolut ionary nature of the fracture phenomenon from microfracture scale to g lobal failure, and the great potential exists in modelling mining indu ced rockbursts and stability of underground openings in greath depth. The capabilities to handle dilation, self-induced faults or even block movement and rotation should also attract applications in the fields of geomechanics as well as rock mechanics. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B .V. All rights reserved.