Elastoplastic Analysis of a Jointed Rock Mass Using a Novel Semianalytical Meshless Method

Abstract

In this paper, a novel semianalytical meshless method as an efficient and accurate method is introduced for elastoplastic analysis of jointed rock mass. Because the proposed method combines the advantages of scaled boundary FEM (SBFEM) and boundary radial point interpolation method (BRPIM), it is called the scaled boundary radial point interpolation method (SBRPIM). Using the boundary nodes for problem modeling without a fundamental solution can be considered as the common points between the SBRPIM and SBFEM. However, unlike the SBFEM, which uses the FEM shape functions in a circumferential direction, the SBRPIM uses the BRPIM shape functions in this direction. Because the BRPIM shape functions possess the Kronecker delta function property, the boundary conditions can be enforced easily in the SBRPIM. To verify the proposed method, three numerical examples are presented in this paper. Comparing the results of the SBRPIM with those of the finite-difference method (FDM), point interpolation method (PIM), and element-free Galerkin (EFG) method, the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method for elastic and elastoplastic analysis of the jointed rock masses are confirmed. SBRPIM has a theoretical significance and can be extended in the engineering application.