Numerical Simulation of Failure Process of Rock-Like Materials Subjected to Impact Loads.

In this research, a novel meshless numerical method, termed general particle dynamics (GPD), to simulate crack initiation, propagation, and coalescence in rock-like materials subjected to impact loads was developed. In the GPD code, interaction among discrete particles was formulated with use of the virtual-bond method. Fractures of virtual bonds among particles were determined through a damage evolution law of rock-like materials. An elastobrittle damage model was applied to reflect the initiation and growth of cracks and the macrofailure of the rock-like materials. A damage coefficient, determined by the number of fractures of virtual bonds around one particle, was introduced into the constitutive equations to modify the damaged particles. The damaged virtual bonds were considered the initiation of cracks. The growth path of cracks was captured through the sequence of the damaged virtual bonds. Three numerical cases are presented here. The numerical results were in good agreement with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]