Publications Details
A Constitutive Model for Jointed Rock Mass With Two Intersecting Sets of Joints
This investigation involves the development of a general two- dimensional continuum model to describe jointed rock mass. Chen recently developed a model for the analysis of rock mass containing two orthogonal joint sets. Development of the orthogonal joint set model followed the general formulation of Morland and the special single joint set implementation of Morland`s model by Thomas. Although the orthogonal joint set model has proven useful for analyzing field-scale problems, it remains restrictive in terms of the general field conditions. In this paper, the orthogonal joint set model has been extended to a more general model where the orthogonality restriction has been relaxed. Fundamental approaches remain the same for both models. However, as the general model becomes capable of treating physically more complicated problems, it becomes mathematically more complex. This complexity provides the potential to study more completely the interaction of various parameters representing the characteristics of jointed rock mass behavior. The equation governing the solution of the problem has been given, and example problems have been solved. The behavior of the rock mass predicted by the orthogonal joint set model has been compared to the general model. This model has been developed to aid in characterizing the site of the repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for the potential geologic disposal of radioactive waste. Disposal of high-level nuclear waste is currently being considered by the Yucca Mountain Project, administered by the Nevada Operations Office of the US Department of Energy.