Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Fracturing Process of Marble Plates with a Pair of Twin Cylindrical Holes Subjected to Uniaxial Compression

Physical models of dolomitic marbles from greek quarries with a pair of twin pre-existing cylindrical holes subjected to uniaxial compression are studied in the laboratory and then, they are simulated numerically with a Bonded Particles Model by employing the two-dimensional version of the Particle Flow Code and the Flat-Joint model. The micro-cracking, the fracturing process and the sequence of their appearance during the numerical tests of the hollow plates are in good agreement with the laboratory tested physical models. Each numerical fracture pattern is similar to the one of the respective physical models. Also, the regions of micro-cracking in the numerical models are similar to the regions of intense deformation observed from Digital Image Correlation analysis on the respective physical models. A comparison between the required applied axial stress for the primary fracture and sidewall spalling initiation of the physical and the numerical models is presented. Then, these stress values are compared to the ones of previously published hollow plates with a single cylindrical opening of the same diameter in compression of the same materials.