2023/11/13 by C. Konstantinou, Konstantinou, C., Emilio Martínez‐Pañeda +5
Engineering · Environmental Science · #Applied Physics (physics.app-ph) #Computational Engineering #Drilling and Well Engineering #FOS: Computer and information sciences #FOS: Physical sciences #Finance #Grouting, Rheology, and Soil Mechanics #Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) #Microbial Applications in Construction Materials #and Science (cs.CE)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2311.07785
openalex publication_date 2023/11/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Bio-chemical reactions enable the production of biomimetic materials such as sandstones. In the present study, microbiologically-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) is used to manufacture laboratory-scale specimens for fracture toughness measurement. The mode I and mixed-mode fracture toughnesses are measured as a function of cementation, and are correlated with strength, permeability and porosity. A micromechanical model is developed to predict the dependence of mode I fracture toughness upon the degree of cementation. In addition, the role of the crack tip T-stress in dictating kink angle and toughness is determined for mixed mode loading. At a sufficiently low degree of cementation, the zone of microcracking in the vicinity of the crack tip is sufficiently large for a crack tip K-field to cease to exist and for crack kinking theory to not apply. The interplay between cementation and fracture properties of sedimentary rocks is explained; this understanding underpins a wide range of rock fracture phenomena including hydraulic fracture.