This tutorial will guide you through how to create a fractured Synthetic Rock Mass (SRM) specimen.
Rock masses are complex systems composed of a rock matrix that may have heterogeneous material properties, often riddled with discontinuities (e.g., fractures, joints, faults, etc.). With PFC, SRM modeling consists of superimposing fracture information (i.e., geometries and properties), from a discrete fracture network (DFN), onto a bonded-particle model (BPM). The BPM is used to model intact rock, and the mechanical behavior of the fractures is introduced by modifying the particle contacts intercepting fractures. As PFC models are inherently discrete, failure can occur both in intact BPM regions and along the fracture planes. The simulation of a rock mass from such a configuration is known as the Synthetic Rock Mass (SRM) methodology.
Learn more about PFC and see the tutorial write-up in PFC's online documentation. The project files are included with PFC.