TY - GEN
T1 - Similarity solutions for a shallow hydraulic fracture
AU - Detournay, Emmanuel
AU - Bunger, Andrew P.
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - This paper deals with the plane strain problem of a "shallow" fluid-driven fracture propagating parallel to a free-surface in an impermeable elastic rock. This problem has applications into magma-driven fractures such as sills, conditioning of ore masses by hydraulic fracturing to enhance caveability, and excavation of hard rocks by hydraulic means. We present two similarity solutions for cases when the fracture length is large compared to its depth: (i) the Ō solution with only a small fraction of the fracture occupied by the injected fluid, and (ii) the K̄ solution with the fracture completely filled by the fluid. It is shown that the Ō solution captures an intermediate episode of the fracture propagation under conditions of "small" toughness and confining stress and that the K̄ solution corresponds to the large time asymptotic evolution of the fracture.
AB - This paper deals with the plane strain problem of a "shallow" fluid-driven fracture propagating parallel to a free-surface in an impermeable elastic rock. This problem has applications into magma-driven fractures such as sills, conditioning of ore masses by hydraulic fracturing to enhance caveability, and excavation of hard rocks by hydraulic means. We present two similarity solutions for cases when the fracture length is large compared to its depth: (i) the Ō solution with only a small fraction of the fracture occupied by the injected fluid, and (ii) the K̄ solution with the fracture completely filled by the fluid. It is shown that the Ō solution captures an intermediate episode of the fracture propagation under conditions of "small" toughness and confining stress and that the K̄ solution corresponds to the large time asymptotic evolution of the fracture.
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U2 - 10.1201/9781439833469.ch6
DO - 10.1201/9781439833469.ch6
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:55549124560
SN - 0415410010
SN - 9780415410014
T3 - Proceedings of the International Symposium of the International Society for Rock Mechanics, Eurock 2006 - Eurock 2006 Multiphysics Coupling and Long Term Behaviour in Rock Mechanics
SP - 57
EP - 62
BT - Proceedings of the International Symposium of the International Society for Rock Mechanics, Eurock 2006 - Eurock 2006 Multiphysics Coupling and Long Term Behaviour in Rock Mechanics
PB - Taylor and Francis/ Balkema
T2 - International Symposium of the International Society for Rock Mechanics, Eurock 2006 - Eurock 2006 Multiphysics Coupling and Long Term Behaviour in Rock Mechanics
Y2 - 9 May 2006 through 12 May 2006
ER -