Limit analysis of jointed media using finite elements and linear programming

This paper presents a numerical method for lower bound limit analysis of jointed rock. The numerical method presented in this paper is based on the idea that, from a macroscopic point of view, jointed rock can be treated as a homogeneous material with anisotropic properties. The overall behaviour of the jointed rock is controlled by the mechanical properties of the intact rock and the discontinuities, as well as the orientation of joint sets. Several examples are given in the paper to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed procedure for computing rigorous lower bound solutions for jointed rock masses.