Advanced meso-scale modelling to study the effective thermo-mechanical parameter in solid geomaterial

Abstract

The effects of coupled thermo-mechanical processes under consideration of micro-fracturing of the solid geomaterial on mechanical and thermal properties of geomaterials are investigated and subsequently simulated using advance Lattice Element Method (LEM). As a result of that extension, the alteration of effective parameter due to structural changes become numerically understandable. Hence, the simulation of the coupled processes on the meso-scale helps to develop and validate reliable identification method for real cases. The obtained results make it obvious that LEM has a large potential for fracture problems in geomaterials.