Rock Failure and Crack Propagation Beneath Disc Cutters

Analyses of rock failure mechanisms beneath disc cutters are presented. Full-scale cutting tests are conducted to assess the global energy input in comparison with rock chips and excavated volume. Small-scale cutting tests are subsequently used for macro- and microscopic analyses of rupture modes and crack propagation. A high spatial resolution allows to obtain pictures of crack networks in different rock types. It is shown that all specimens...