Rockburst proneness analysis of rock materials based on the discrete element method

To explore the rockburst proneness of rock materials, coarse-grained granite, red sandstone and white marble were selected for uniaxial compression laboratory tests. Applying the rockburst proneness criterion based on the peak strength strain storage index, numerical models of the three rocks were constructed according to the three-dimensional Clump (3D-Clump) modelling method using the three-dimensional Particle Flow Code (PFC3D) in the Discrete Element Method (DEM). Numerical simulations of conventional uniaxial compression (UC) and single cyclic loading-unloading uniaxial compression (SCLUC) tests were carried out to estimate the rockburst proneness of the three rocks. The results show that the 3D-Clump model can match different types of rock materials by setting the proper clump radius and meso parameters. The stress-strain curves in the UC numerical simulation tests of the three rocks are very similar to those of laboratory tests. In the SCLUC numerical simulation tests, the peak strengths of the three rocks at different unloading stress levels k do not differ by more than 5 % from that of the conventional UC tests. Based on the rockburst proneness criterion of the peak strength strain storage index, combined with the final fracture modes in the SCLUC tests, it is concluded that coarse-grained granite has high rockburst proneness, and red sandstone and white marble have low rockburst proneness.