Effects of Microfracture on Wave Propagation through Rock Mass

Abstract

This paper presents an investigation of wave propagation through microfractured rock mass. The effects of microfracture on wave propagation were observed by a series of scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests and wave-velocity measurements. A spectrum analysis was introduced to analyze the attenuation coefficient and the wave number of seismic waves propagating through microfractured rock mass. The effects of fracture length, fracture quantity, and frequency of incident wave on the attenuation rate, effective velocity, attenuation coefficient, and wave number were numerically simulated and discussed. The results demonstrate that the attenuation rate, effective velocity, attenuation coefficient, and wave number are significantly influenced by the geometrical parameters of microfracture (e.g., length and quantity). In addition, the numerical manifold method (NMM) was validated as a method for investigating the dynamic behavior of heavy microfractured rock mass efficiently.