Simulation study on the mechanical properties and failure characteristics of rocks with double holes and fractures

With the exploitation of natural resources in China, underground resource extraction and underground space development, as well as other engineering activities are increasing, resulting in the creation of many defective rocks. In this paper, uniaxial compression tests were performed on rocks with double holes and fractures at different angles using particle flow code (PFC2D) numerical simulations and laboratory experiments. The failure behavior and mechanical properties of rock samples with holes and fractures at different angles were analyzed. The failure modes of rock with defects at different angles were identified. The fracture propagation and stress evolution characteristics of rock with fractures at different angles were determined. The results reveal that compared to intact rocks, the peak stress, elastic modulus, peak strain, initiation stress, and damage stress of fractured rocks with different fracture angles around holes are lower. As the fracture angle increases, the gap in mechanical properties between the defective rock and the intact rock gradually decreased. In the force chain diagram, the compressive stress concentration range of the combined defect of cracks and holes starts to decrease, and the model is gradually destroyed as the tensile stress range gradually increases. When the peak stress is reached, the acoustic emission energy is highest and the rock undergoes brittle damage. Through a comparative study using laboratory tests, the results of laboratory real rocks and numerical simulation experiments were verified and the macroscopic failure characteristics of the real and simulated rocks were determined to be similar. This study can help us correctly understand the mechanical properties of rocks with defects and provide theoretical guidance for practical rock engineering.