Aespoe Pillar Stability Experiment. Modelling of fracture development of APSE by FRACOD

An in-situ experiment has started at Aespoe HRL to investigate the stability of a pillar between two closely located boreholes of deposition hole scale. This full-scale experiment is named the Aespoe Pillar Stability Experiment (APSE). One of the holes will be pressurized with 0.8 MPa water pressure to simulate confinement by backfill. Thermal stresses will be applied in the pillar by the use of electric heaters to reach the spalling conditions. To quantify the degree of damage during the experiment, an Acoustic Emission (AE) system will be used and strain measurements will be installed. FRACOD is a two dimensional BEM/DDM code for fracturing analysis in rock material. Here it has been used to model the rock mass response during the planned sequences of excavation-confinement-heating. The models predict the stress and displacement fields, fracture initiation and propagation, coalescence and the final failure of the rock mass. The presences of pre-existing fractures, which may have significant influence on the pillar behaviour, have also been considered in the modelling. This report summarises the modelling work using FRACOD to simulate the various experimental stages