Mohr-Coulomb failure

Goal: To understand the relationships between stress, brittle failure, and

frictional faulting and to use this relationship to predict rock behavior
1. Review of principal stresses and introduction of shear stress and normal
stress
Stress resolved into three principal vectors at right angles to each
other 1, 2, and 3 where 1 2 3
1 is the maximum principal stress direction, 2 is the intermediate
principal stress direction, and 3 is the minimum principal stress
direction
We also define the differential stress (d) as (1 - 3)
The confining pressure is defined as 2 = 3 under compressive
stress and 2 = 1 under tensile stress
Lithostatic stress as static stress generated by mass of overlying
rocks
Lithostatic stress for a 1-m2 area = Gh
where:
= density of the overlying rocks
G = acceleration due to gravity
h = thickness of column of overlying rocks
For any plane with strike parallel with 2, stress is resolved into 2
components:
a.

Shear stress (s), acting parallel with the plane

b.

Normal stress (n), acting perpendicular to the plane

The stress components are related by:

a.

s = (1 - 3)sin(2)

b.

n = (1 + 3) - (1 - 3)cos(2)

where is the angle between the plane and 1

2. Mohr diagram for stress
Relationship between 1, 3, s, and n is plotted graphically in
Cartesian coordinates where the y-axis = s and the x-axis = n, 1,
3, and d
The mohr circle for stress is a circle with diameter = d plotted on the
mohr diagram with its center on the n-axis at a point = (1 + 3)
3. For any plane with strike parallel with 2: s and n can be found using a
graphical construction if we know 1, 3, and
Plot a line from the center of the mohr circle to the edge of the circle
where:
c = the critical shear stress, or the shear stress at failure
0 = the cohesive strength, or the s value on the failure envelope
where n = 0 (where failure envelope crosses the y-axis)
= the angle of internal friction. = 90-2
Tan() is known as the coefficient of internal frictionAccording to
the Mohr circle, a second shear fracture set could form at an angle
to 3,
called a conjugate shear fracture. Note that during Coulomb
Failure, the shear fracture
forms at an angle of ~60, not at the maximum shear stress
(45). This is because 1)
rocks have some angle of internal friction () and 2) there is an
interplay between
maximizing the shear stress while minimizing the normal stress;
however, the minimum

normal stress (n) occurs on differently oriented planes than the

maximum shear stress
(s). Thus, fracture angle is the optimization of both of the effects.
Most rocks have an angle of internal friction 30. Therefore, at
failure is also 30, even though s is greatest when = 45.
Can use the mohr circle and the Coulomb failure envelope to
determine if a given state of stress is stable for a given rock type
Describe this graphically on the board
4. Byerlees law and slip on pre-existing fractures
Pre-existing fractures have no cohesive strength. In other
words, 0 = 0
Failure envelopes for pre-existing fractures (envelope of sliding
friction) are also derived experimentally using same methodology
used to define Coulomb failure envelopes. Describe this
graphically on the board
Except: the envelope of sliding friction is almost the same for every
rock type.
The angle of sliding friction (f) is the angle between the failure
envelope and the x-axis
a. For low confining pressures, f 40
b. For medium-to-high confining pressures, f 35
Sliding envelope is described by Byerlees Law: c = tan(f)n
Can use the mohr circle and Byerlees failure envelope to determine if
a given state of stress is stable for a given fracture orientation ()
Describe this graphically on the board
5. Effect of pore-fluid pressure on stress regime
Pore-fluid pressure (Pf) effectively reduces the stress equally in all
directions

 We define the effective stresses (1eff, 2eff, and 3eff) as:

1eff = 1 - Pf
2eff = 2 - Pf
3eff = 3 - Pf
Note that 1eff - 3eff = 1 - 3 so that pore fluid pressure does not
change the differential stress, it only lowers the confining pressure
Increased pore fluid pressure moves the Mohr circle to the right,
closer to the failure envelopes.