Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1016/j.gete.2025.100644
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Benchmark study of a new simplified DFN model for shearing of intersecting fractures and faults
Author Hu, M.; Yoon, J.S.; Sasaki, T.; Liu, H.; Wang, Z.; Park, J.-W.; Park, C.-H.; Rutqvist, J.; Kolditz, O. ORCID logo ; Birkholzer, J.
Source Titel Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment
Year 2025
Department ENVINF
Volume 41
Page From art. 100644
Language englisch
Topic T7 Bioeconomy
T5 Future Landscapes
Keywords Benchmark; Simplified DFN model; Intersecting fractures and faults; Shearing; Frictional dynamic contacts; DECOVALEX
Abstract It is challenging to quantitatively predict shearing of intersecting fractures/faults because of dynamic frictional contacts accompanied by possible nonlinear rock deformation. To address such challenges, a new conceptual model—the simplified DFN model—was proposed and validated by Hu et al.46 to use major paths (MPs) to represent complicated DFNs for calculation of shearing. In this work, we conducted a benchmark study for three examples that involve different levels of complexity of intersecting fractures, and correspondingly different numbers of MPs. The codes and software that were used in the benchmark cover a range of continuum, discontinuum and hybrid numerical methods: NMM (LBNL), FLAC3D (LBNL), GBDEM (KIGAM), FRACOD (DynaFrax), and CASRock (CAS). The general consistency between DFN and MP cases as predicted by all the codes/software demonstrates that major paths can be used to simplify the geometry of DFNs in a wide range of software. Disagreement in results made by some software and potential future improvements are discussed. We show that (1) shearing of one or multiple major fractures can be reduced if there are multiple smaller intersecting fractures in that area, which is a useful basis for understanding and controlling induced seismicity and merits further analysis, and (2) the agreement achieved in the benchmark examples provide confidence that the simplified DFN model is a promising conceptual model that can be used for different types of numerical approaches and software for simplifying the analysis of the shearing of intersecting fractures and faults.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=30514
Hu, M., Yoon, J.S., Sasaki, T., Liu, H., Wang, Z., Park, J.-W., Park, C.-H., Rutqvist, J., Kolditz, O., Birkholzer, J. (2025):
Benchmark study of a new simplified DFN model for shearing of intersecting fractures and faults
Geomech. Energy Environ. 41 , art. 100644 10.1016/j.gete.2025.100644