A novel Lagrangian approach for the stable numerical simulation of fault and fracture mechanics

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Journal of Computational Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JCP.2016.03.032· OSTI ID:22572311

Franceschini, Andrea; Ferronato, Massimiliano; Janna, Carlo; Teatini, Pietro

The simulation of the mechanics of geological faults and fractures is of paramount importance in several applications, such as ensuring the safety of the underground storage of wastes and hydrocarbons or predicting the possible seismicity triggered by the production and injection of subsurface fluids. However, the stable numerical modeling of ground ruptures is still an open issue. The present work introduces a novel formulation based on the use of the Lagrange multipliers to prescribe the constraints on the contact surfaces. The variational formulation is modified in order to take into account the frictional work along the activated fault portion according to the principle of maximum plastic dissipation. The numerical model, developed in the framework of the Finite Element method, provides stable solutions with a fast convergence of the non-linear problem. The stabilizing properties of the proposed model are emphasized with the aid of a realistic numerical example dealing with the generation of ground fractures due to groundwater withdrawal in arid regions. - Highlights: • A numerical model is developed for the simulation of fault and fracture mechanics. • The model is implemented in the framework of the Finite Element method and with the aid of Lagrange multipliers. • The proposed formulation introduces a new contribution due to the frictional work on the portion of activated fault. • The resulting algorithm is highly non-linear as the portion of activated fault is itself unknown. • The numerical solution is validated against analytical results and proves to be stable also in realistic applications.

• OSTI ID: 22572311
• Journal Information: Journal of Computational Physics, Vol. 314; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2016 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CONVERGENCE
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
FLUIDS
FRACTURE MECHANICS
FRACTURES
GROUND WATER
HYDROCARBONS
LAGRANGIAN FUNCTION
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
RUPTURES
SAFETY
SEISMICITY
SURFACES
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
WASTES