Computational microporomechanics  for phase-changing geomaterials (PhD quantification)
Channel: WaiChing Sun
Date: 2020-07-20

Speaker: Suk Hyoung Suh (PhD candidate)
Abstract: 
While classical approaches based on the mixture theory may shed light on the macroscopic mechanics of geological materials under changing environment, significant advancements in our knowledge and predictive capability of complex mechanisms across time and length scales cannot be made without understanding the underlying coupling mechanisms among constituents at the small scale. In order to capture the micro-mechanical interactions, one necessary condition is the capability to model the evolving interfaces among constituents, which can directly be used to model soil liquefaction, ice crystal growth, and crack nucleation and propagation. In this study, we focus on the phase field method that mathematically models the evolution by an implicit function. Compared with the embedded discontinuity approaches such as XFEM and assumed strain models, the phase field approach provides a simple way to handle evolving complex geometries without the need to generate specific enrichment function, integration scheme, and meshing algorithm tailored for different geometrical features. By leveraging the phase field method as a key technique, the goal of this study is to provide a mathematical theory and corresponding computational framework that explicitly capture the micro-mechanical interactions, where we specifically explore cohesive fracture in micropolar continua, hydraulic fracture with coupled Stokes-Darcy flow and thermohydromechanics of deformable vuggy porous media under thermal non-equilibrium.

More information can be found at www.poromechanics.org