Finite element analysis of the indentation test on rocks with microstructure

Jean Sulem (1) , Miguel Cerrolaza (2)

1 CERMES - Centre d'enseignement et de recherche en mécanique des sols
2 Facultad de Ingenieria

Strength parameters of rocks are currently determined from indentation tests. In this paper, a finite element analysis of this test is presented and scale effect is studied. The rock is modelled as an elasto-plastic medium with Cosserat microstructure and consequently possesses an internal length. The response of the indentation curve is studied for various values of the size of the indentor as compared to the internal length of the rock in order to assess the scale effect.

Mots clés: Strength; microstructure; elasto-plasticity; finite element analysis; scale effect

Domaines: Mécanique des solides [physics.class-ph]; Mécanique des solides [physics.class-ph]; Matériaux; Mécanique [physics.med-ph]

Jean Sulem, Miguel Cerrolaza. Finite element analysis of the indentation test on rocks with microstructure. Computers and Geotechnics, 2002, 29 (2), pp.95-117. ⟨hal-00311359⟩