Mohr-Coulomb failure

Goal: To understand relationship between

stress, brittle failure, and frictional faulting
and to use this relationship to predict rock
behavior
 Stress review
Stress = Force/Area
3 principal vectors: 1, 2, and 3 at right
angles to each other
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:
Static stress as 1 = 2 = 3
Lithostatic stress as static stress
generated by mass of overlying rocks
Differential stress (d) as (1 - 3)
Confining pressure as 2 = 3 for the
conditions 1 > 2 = 3
Shear stress and normal stress
For any plane in a stress field defined by 1,
2, and 3 with strike parallel with 2:
1

3 3

1
The stress is resolved into 2 components:
1. Shear stress (s), acting parallel with the
plane
2. Normal stress (n), acting perpendicular
to the plane
1 n

s s
3 3

n
1
Stress components are related by:
1. s = (1 - 3)sin(2)
2. n = (1 + 3) - (1 - 3)cos(2)
where = angle between plane and 1
1 n

s s
3 3

n
1
 Mohr diagram for stress
Relationship between 1, 3, s, and n is
plotted graphically in Cartesian coordinates
s

n
Mohr circle for stress: circle with diameter =
d plotted on mohr diagram
Center on the n-axis at point = (1 + 3)

n
3 1

(1 + 3)
 Finding s, and n
Can use a Mohr circle to find s, and n for
any plane
s

n
3 1
Plot a line from center to edge of circle at
angle 2-clockwise from n-axis

2
n
3 1
X- and y-coordinates of intersection of line
and circle define s and n for the plane

s (s, n) of plane

n
3 1
 Coulombs failure criterion
Every homogeneous material has a
characteristic failure envelope for brittle
shear fracturing
Combinations of s and n outside of the
envelope result in fracture
Determining failure envelope
Experimental rock deformation

Holger Stunitz in the

lab at Basel University
 The Coulomb envelope
s Shear
Fracture

Stable
Fracture
Tensile

2
n
3 1

Stable
Shear
Fracture
 Coulomb law of failure
c = 0 + tan()n
s

0

n
 c = 0 + tan()n
Formula defines shear stress under which
rocks will fracture
c = critical shear stress s at failure
0 = cohesive strength s when n = 0
= angle of internal friction 90 - 2
 For most rocks, angle of internal friction
30
Therefore, at failure is also 30
s is greatest when = 45
Failure
envelopes
for different
rocks
 Slip on pre-existing fractures
Pre-existing fractures have no cohesive
strength, 0 = 0

Failure envelopes for pre-existing fractures

derived experimentally
Envelope of sliding friction
s

f = angle of sliding friction

n
 Byerlees law
Describes frictional sliding envelope
c = tan(f)n

f 40 for low confining pressures

and 35 for high confining
pressures
Byerlees law for different rock types
 Effect of pore-fluid pressure
Pore fluid pressure (Pf) effectively lowers the
stress in all directions
The effective stresses (1eff, 2eff, and 3eff) =
principal stresses - Pf

1eff = 1 - Pf 2eff= 2 - Pf 3eff = 3 - Pf

s Stable stress conditions

1
n
3
s Increase in pore fluid pressure can
drive faulting!!

1eff 1
n
3eff 3