RELATION BETWEEN FRACTURE-SCALE FRACTAL DISTRIBUTION AND ITS DAMAGE EVOLUTION

The data provided by the related rock fracture test were reviewed, analyzed and calculated using the methods of fractal geometry and damage fracture mechanics.The results show that the rock damage evolution has better statistical self-similarity, that the fractal dimension of the fracture-scale distribution can well describe the degree of rock damage and that the fractal dimension (D_L) of fracturescale distribution increases with the linear increase of the load (σ) in the process of the damage evolution of rock fracture.For the fractal dimension of the fracture-scale distribution, the damage evolution is a process of increase in dimension.The empirical relation between the fractal dimension (D_L) and the damage variable (ω) was gained according to the calculated results.