2D-numerical analysis of hydraulic fracturing in heterogeneous geo-materials

A geo-material failure process analysis (F-RFPA2D), considering the coupling of stress distribution, fluid flow, and element damage evolution, is used to investigate the mechanisms of crack initiation and propagation around a 2-D cylindrical cavity in heterogeneous stiff soils during hydraulic fracturing. A large number of numerical analysis on hydraulic fracturing in stiff soil with pre-existing injection cavity have been carried out to study the mechanism of hydraulic fracturing in stiff soil. In addition, the characteristic of acoustic emission (AE) due to hydraulic fractures are studied by numerical simulations. The results provide a better understanding of the crack initiation and propagation mechanisms during hydrofracturing. The simulation software package can be a powerful tool for study of soil behavior during hydraulic fractures.