Investigation of the anisotropic mechanical response of layered shales

Abstract

Layered shales exist widely and are often encountered during shale gas development. However, the mechanical response of layered shales is significantly affected by the existence of beddings, resulting in the obvious anisotropy characteristics regarding deformation, strength and failure mode. To clarify the underlying mechanisms of shale anisotropy that control the safety of engineering projects, the numerical simulation and theoretical analysis were conducted. The results show that with the growth of confining pressure, the compressive resistance of shales gradually increases, the shear fractures govern the instability and the anisotropy index decreases. Furthermore, several strength criteria for layered rock masses were summarized, and the modified Jaeger strength criterion was proposed by introducing the anisotropic parameter . It can effectively reflect the failure modes and strength features of layered shales under triaxial conditions with a higher accuracy. Besides, the variation of cohesion and internal friction angle of layered shale samples was comprehensively analysed under the triaxial conditions. Clearly, as the inclination angle of bedding planes increases, the cohesion of layered shales first decreases, but then increases under triaxial compression, showing the ‘U’‐shaped changing trend. Additionally, the internal friction angle of layered shales gradually increases with the increase in the inclination of bedding planes.

Anisotropic Characterization of Mechanical Behavior and Fracture Morphology in Marine and Continental Shales under Uniaxial Compression: A Comparative Analysis

“…These investigations demonstrate that with the increase in bedding angle, both the strength and Young’s modulus of shale initially decrease and then increase, highlighting its pronounced anisotropy. Additionally, numerical simulations under triaxial compression reveal that an increase in shale layer tilt correlates with an initial decline followed by a rise in cohesion, alongside a consistent increase in the friction angle . Importantly, fracture patterns are influenced by the confining pressure with the impact of stratification diminishing at higher strain rates.…”

“…Additionally, numerical simulations under triaxial compression reveal that an increase in shale layer tilt correlates with an initial decline followed by a rise in cohesion, alongside a consistent increase in the friction angle. 28 Importantly, fracture patterns are influenced by the confining pressure with the impact of stratification diminishing at higher strain rates. To study the real-time progressive evolution behavior of shale under compression, three prevalent methods have emerged: (1) feature stress and strain method 4 shows that at confining pressures exceeding 30 MPa, the ratios of σ ci /σ c , σ ci /σ cd , and σ cd /σ c , where σ ci , σ cd , and σ c represent the crack initiation stress, crack damage stress, and peak stress, respectively, increase initially and then decrease with the rise in tilt angle.…”