Sign Convention Positive Shear Stress Negative Shear Stress Tractions are positive in negative coordinate direction Determined by direction of traction acting on negative coordinate face
Principle Stresses • for any stress system, we can always find a principle axis coordinate system in which all shear stresses are zero • the three normal stresses are principle stresses denoted by: ≥ • compression is positive • tension is negative ≥
Stresses in a Principal Stress Frame
Mohr Circles
Stress in 3 D • stress tensor describes stress in 3 D diagonal terms = normal stresses nondiagonal terms = shear stresses
Differential Stress • differential stress is the difference between the maximum stress (σ1) and the minimum stress (σ3) • the most important quantity in the failure of rocks • we only analyze the plane containing σ1 and σ3 in 2 D
Coulomb Failure and Mohr Circles stable failure occurs
Real Space
Mohr Space
Normal and Shear Stresses
Maximum Shear Stress
Brittle Failure • brittle failure could result in: 1) development of a new fracture surface in an intact rock 2) slip on a preexisting fracture in a previously broken rock • failure criterion specifies the stress state when failure occurs
Mohr-Coulomb Failure Criterion linear approximation: angle of internal friction failure envelope C shear & normal stresses at failure cohesion coefficient of internal friction