Fractals in Rock Mechanics

by Heping Xie

Overview

Important developments in the progress of the theory of rock mechanics during recent years are based on fractals and damage mechanics. The concept of fractals has proved to be a useful way of describing the statistics of naturally occurring geometrics. Natural objects, from mountains and coastlines to clouds and forests, are found to have boundaries best described as fractals. Fluid flow through jointed rock masses and clusterings of earthquakes are found to follow fractal patterns in time and space. Fracturing in rocks at all scales, from the microscale (microcracks) to the continental scale (megafaults), can lead to fractal structures. The process of diagenesis and pore geometry of sedimentary rock can be quantitatively described by fractals, etc.

The book is mainly concerned with these developments, as related to fractal descriptions of fragmentations, damage and fracture of rocks, rock burst, joint roughness, rock porosity and permeability, rock grain growth, rock and soil particles, shear slips, fluid flow through jointed rocks, faults, earthquake clustering, and so on. The prime concerns of the book are to give a simple account of the basic concepts, methods of fractal geometry, and their applications to rock mechanics, geology, and seismology, and also to discuss damage mechanics of rocks and its application to mining engineering.

The book can be used as a textbook for graduate students, by university teachers to prepare courses and seminars, and by active scientists who want to become familiar with a fascinating new field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781000150346
Publisher:	CRC Press
Publication date:	12/17/2020
Series:	Geomechanics Research Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	464
File size:	39 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Xie Heping, a specialist in engineering mechanics, was born in Shuangfeng, Hunan Province in 1956. He graduated from the China University of Mining and Technology in 1982 and received his Ph. D. degree from the China University of Mining and Technology in 1987, where he became a professor in 1990. He was approved as doctoral candidate supervisor by the Academic Degree Committee of State Council. In 2001 he was elected academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He serves as the president of Sichuan University, as member of the Subject Evaluation Team of the Academic Degree Committee of State Council, as vice president of the Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering and as vice president of the China Coal Society.

Table of Contents

Introduction. General Properties of Fractals. The Perimeter-Area Relation of Fractal Sets and Fractal Surfaces. Random Fractals. Fractal Growth. Multifractals. Self-Inverse Fractals. Fuzzy Fractals. The Theory of Large Deformation and Its Application. Damage Mechanics of Rock. Fractals and Fragmentation of Rock Materials. Fractal Pores and Particles of Rocks and Soils. Fractal Models of Rock Micro-Fractures. Fractal Analysis of Rock Damage and Fracture. Fractal Description of the Roughness of Rock Joints. Fractal Nature of the Cluster System.

Editorial Reviews

Based on lectures at the U. of Utah and the China University of Mining & Technology, this work employs concepts of fractals introduced by Mandelbrot to elucidate rock geometry and damage mechanics. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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