Numerical investigation for anisotropy of compressive strength of rock mass with multiple natural joints

<正> Based on Rock Failure Process Analysis model RFPA , the evolutionary processesof failure process of rock mass with multiple natural joints were simulated.Numericalsimulations show that anisotropy of compressive strength of jointed rock mass varieswith the number of natural joints and inclination of natural joints.As the number of naturaljoints in rock mass increases, the anisotropy becomes less and less.It is justifiable to treatapproximately rock mass containing six or more natural joints instead of four or more jointsthat was described in literature of Hoek and Brown as isotropy.