Bruno Figueiredo
[email protected]
Itasca Consultants AB, Sweden
Numerical studies of the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical effects in fractured rocks have been conducted using different methods, such as discrete, continuum and combined continuum-discrete based models. Discrete based models, while more realistic for discontinuous media, have the limitation of being time consuming for modelling the thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of fractured rock domains with curved or dead-end fractures. Continuum based models require a representation of discrete fracture behavior with appropriate hydro-mechanical properties by an elemental cell, but they can have the advantage of being able to model fractures that are sealed and filled with mineral materials and are less time consuming. Furthermore, important phenomena such as changes in the permeability field and flow paths due to tension failure regions in the intact rock between fractures can be included. In this session, we welcome contributions to improve the existing knowledge on numerical modelling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes in fractured rocks by using discrete, continuum and combined continuum-discrete based models.