Simulation of viscoelastic behavior of defected rock by using numerical manifold method

Numerical simulations of longitudinal wave propagation in a rock bar with microcracks are conducted by using the numerical manifold method which has great advantages in the simulation of discontinuities. Firstly, validation of the numerical manifold method is carried out by simulations of a longitudinal stress wave propagating through intact and cracked rock bars. The behavior of the stress wave traveling in a one-dimensional rock bar with randomly distributed microcracks is subsequently studied. It is revealed that the highly defected rock bar has significant viscoelasticity to the stress wave propagation. Wave attenuation as well as time delay is affected by the length, quantity, specific stiffness of the distributed microcracks as well as the incident stress wave frequency. The storage and loss moduli of the defected rock are also affected by the microcrack properties; however, they are independent of incident stress wave frequency. © 2011 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.