Stress inhomogeneity effect on fluid-induced fracture behavior into weakly consolidated granular systems.


Type
Article
Change log
Authors
Gago, Paula A 
Konstantinou, Charalampos  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4662-5327
Biscontin, Giovanna  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4662-5650
King, Peter 
Abstract

We study the effect of stress inhomogeneity on the behavior of fluid-driven fracture development in weakly consolidated granular systems. Using numerical models we investigate the change in fracture growth rate and fracture pattern structure in unconsolidated granular packs (also referred to as soft-sands) as a function of the change in the confining stresses applied to the system. Soft-sands do not usually behave like brittle, linear elastic materials, and as a consequence, poroelastic models are often not applicable to describe their behavior. By making a distinction between "cohesive" and "compressive" grain-grain contact forces depending on their magnitude, we propose an expression that describes the fluid opening pressure as a function of the mean value and the standard deviation of the "compressive stress" distribution. We also show that the standard deviation of this distribution can be related with the extent to which fracture "branches" reach into the material.

Description
Keywords
40 Engineering, 4019 Resources Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy
Journal Title
Phys Rev E
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
2470-0045
2470-0053
Volume Title
102
Publisher
American Physical Society (APS)
Rights
All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/P013848/1)
BP International Centre for Advanced Materials (BP-ICAM)