Numerical simulation and interpretation of the grain size effect on rock strength

Although the grain size effect on rock’s physical–mechanical properties has been widely studied, little attention has been paid to the reasons for this phenomenon. In this paper, an attempt is made to interpret the effect of grain size on uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) from the point of view of mechanics. Based on the microscopic images of rock with different mineral grain size, actual mineral types and grain sizes were identified and...