Microfracturing and Disturbance Prediction of Rock Specimens Based on Digital Image Correlation Data: A Model and Laboratory Experiment

— This study was performed within the framework of the problem of diagnosing, monitoring, and predicting the state of geotechnical systems and natural objects. It focuses on the substantiation and laboratory testing of an approach for establishing quantitative relationships between the parameters of stochastic fields in geo-objects under heterogeneous stress conditions. Experiments on diametrical compression of rock disk specimens were conducted with synchronous recording of microdisplacements on their surfaces using digital image correlation. Interpretation of the obtained data allowed us to identify emerging surface microfractures at each loading stage. It was established that even at the initial stage, statistically significant relationships arise between disturbances (characterized by the number of microfractures per unit area) in different parts of the specimen, and the closeness of these relationships increases with growing load. Correlations were found between the load level and the number of microfractures in different parts of the specimen, which enable predictive assessments of the disturbance of the latter.