Eur. Phys. J. B (2016) 89: 130
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2016-60915-y

Regular Article

A simple discrete-element-model of Brazilian test

¹ Satyendra Nath Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Block-JD, Sector-III, Salt Lake, 700106 Kolkata, India
² Formation Physics Department, SINTEF Petroleum Research, 7465 Trondheim, Norway

^a e-mail: sumanta492@gmail.com

Received: 26 November 2015
Received in final form: 24 March 2016
Published online: 23 May 2016

Abstract

We present a statistical model which is able to capture some interesting features exhibited in the Brazilian test of rock samples. The model is based on elements which break irreversibly when the force experienced by the elements exceed their own load capacity. If an element breaks the load capacity of the neighboring elements are decreased by a certain amount, assuming weakening effect around the defected zone. From the model we numerically investigate the stress-strain behavior, the strength of the system, how it scales with the system size and also its fluctuation for both uniform and Weibull distribution of breaking thresholds in the system. To check the validity of our statistical model we perform few Brazilian tests on Sandstone and Chalk samples. The stress-strain curve from model results agree qualitatively well with the lab-test data. Also, the damage profile right at the point when the stress-strain curve reaches its maximum is seen to mimic the crack patterns observed in our Brazilian test experiments.