Implementation of a J-integral based Maximum Circumferential Tensile Stress theory in DDA for simulating crack propagation

•Applied J-integral based Maximum Circumferential Tensile Stress theory to DDA.•Embedded the crack propagation algorithm in DDA.•Verified the correctness of the crack propagation algorithm.•Applied the validated method to simulate a landslide case. Crack propagation is a very important research subject within the field of rock mechanics. In this study, a J-integral based Maximum Circumferential Tensile Stress theory was applied to the conventional Discontinuous Deformation Analysis (DDA) Method for simulating crack propagation. First, according to the relevant theories of fracture mechanics, a crack propagation theory suitable for DDA was derived by calculating J-integral in DDA simulation. Then, the crack propagation algorithm was embedded in the DDA algorithm with an accurate judgement of the propagation direction. After that, the numerical calculation results were compared with the experimental results to verify the correctness of the crack propagation algorithm. The validated method was finally applied to simulate a landslide case with a preexisting crack. The results showed that the proposed method was applicable to simulating crack propagations in practical cases.