Statistical volume element averaging scheme for fracture of quasi-brittle materials

To capture the randomness and inhomogeneity of rock at microscale, a statistical volume element (SVE) averaging approach is proposed. The microcrack statistics of a real-world Yuen-Long marble sample is used to realize 2D microcracked domains. The size effect, i.e. the decrease of the mean and variation of homogenized strength field by increasing SVE size, is analyzed. Increasing the crack density is shown to have a similar effect. While smaller...