HOEK-BROWN MATERIAL MODEL

HOEK-BROWN MATERIAL MODEL

This document verifies that the Hoek-Brown model is correctly implemented in PLAXIS.
For that purpose the elasto-plastic behaviour of rock mass is studied via a circular
opening subjected to in situ stress in generalized Hoek-Brown material (α ≥ 0.5).
PLAXIS results are verified against the closed form solution presented by
Carranza-Torres (2004).
Used version:
• PLAXIS 2D - Version 2016.01
Geometry: In PLAXIS 2D a plane strain model is used with 15-noded elements. Taking
advantage of the model's symmetry, only one-quarter of the geometry is modeled, i.e. 25
m × 25 m. The radius R of the opening equals 2 m. Far-field stress σ0 equal to 15000
kPa is applied to the top and right boundaries of the model with Line loads. A mesh
refinement circular zone with radius equal to 5 m is defined around the opening. Figure 1
illustrates the model geometry.
Two separate cases are studied with respect to the support pressure inside the opening
pi :
Study case 1: pi = 0 kPa
Study case 2: pi = 2500 kPa
In study case 1 the opening is unsupported. To simulate study case 2, a Line load
perpendicular to the circular surface is used with magnitude equal to 2500 kN/m/m,
pointing outwards.

Figure 1 Model geometry and generated mesh (PLAXIS 2D)

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VALIDATION & VERIFICATION

Material: The Hoek-Brown material model is used with unit weight γ equal to zero. The
adopted material parameters are:

Soil: E ' = 5.7 × 106 kN/m2 ν ' = 0.3 σci = 30 × 103 kN/m2 mi = 10
◦
GSI = 50 D=0 ψmax = 0
Meshing: The Fine option is selected for the Element distribution. A Coarseness factor
equal to 0.1 is used inside the opening and at the mesh refinement zone in the vicinity.
The generated mesh is illustrated in Figure 1.
Calculations: In the Initial phase zero initial stresses are generated by using the K0
procedure (γ = 0). To generate far-field stress conditions, the line loads acting on the top
and right model boundaries are activated in a separate phase (Phase 1) and the
calculation type is set to Plastic analysis. Both top and right boundaries are set to be
Free, while both bottom and left boundaries are set to Normally fixed.
Two separate phases are introduced starting from Phase 1 and the calculation type is set
to Plastic analysis as well. Phase 2 simulates the first study case (pi = 0 kPa). Phase 3
simulates the second study case (pi = 2500 kPa) and the line load acting on the opening
is activated. In both phases, the quarter circle area representing the opening is
deactivated. The Reset displacements to zero option is activated in Phases 2 and 3. To
obtain more accurate results the Max load fraction per step is set equal to 0.1.
Output: Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the plastic points in study cases 1 and 2. The radius
of the plastic zone Rpl equals 3.80 m and 2.58 m respectively.

Figure 2 Plastic points in study case 1 (PLAXIS 2D)

Verification: The Hoek-Brown failure criterion (Hoek & Brown, 1980) is used to
determine the shear strength of intact rock. Its generalized form is used for rock masses:
 
σ3 α
σ1 = σ3 + σci mb +s (1)
σci

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 HOEK-BROWN MATERIAL MODEL

Figure 3 Plastic points in study case 2 (PLAXIS 2D)

in which σ1 and σ3 are the major and minor principal stresses, and σci is the unconfined
compressive strength of the intact rock material.
The coefficients mb , s and α are defined as (Hoek, Carranza-Torres & Corkum, 2002):
 
GSI − 100
mb = mi exp (2)
28 − 14D
 
GSI − 100
s = exp (3)
9 − 3D
1 1 −GSI/15
 
α= + e − e−20/3 (4)
2 6
in which GSI is the Geological Strength Index (Marinos & Hoek, 2000), taking values from
0 to 100, and D is a factor which expresses the degree of disturbance of the rock mass,
varying between 0 and 1.
Carranza-Torres (2004) presents a closed form solution for the problem of excavating a
circular tunnel in an elasto-plastic material subjected to uniform loading. The solution
satisfies the generalized Hoek-Brown criterion (Eq. (1)). Considering elastic
perfectly-plastic behaviour, the transformed far-field S0 and internal Pi stresses are
obtained as:
σ0 s
S0 = (1−α)/α
+ 1/α
(5)
mb σci mb
pi s
Pi = (1−α)/α
+ 1/α
(6)
mb σci mb

The critical internal stress picr is the internal pressure below which plastic zone with
radius Rpl is developed. The transformed critical internal pressure Picr is calculated as:
α
µPicr + 2Picr − 2S0 = 0 (7)

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in which the parameter µ is defined as:

(2α−1)/α
µ = mb (8)

The exact solution of the Eq. (7) can be approximated using the Newton-Raphson or
other similar numerical methods. The critical internal stress picr is then calculated as:
" #
s (1−α)/α
picr = Picr − 1/α
mb σci (9)
mb

The radius of the plastic zone Rpl is obtained as:

1−α
" #
Picr − Pi1−α
Rpl = R exp (10)
(1 − α)µ
pl pl
The radial σr and hoop σθ stresses in the plastic region (R ≤ r < Rpl ) are obtained as:
" #
s (1−α)/α
σrpl = Srpl − 1/α
mb σci (11)
mb
" #
s (1−α)/α
σθpl = Sθpl − 1/α
mb σci (12)
mb
pl pl
in which the transformed radial Sr and hoop Sθ stress are found as:
" !# 1
1−α r
Srpl = Picr + (1 − α)µ ln 1−α (13)
Rpl
α
Sθpl = Srpl + µSrpl (14)

For the elastic region (r ≥ Rpl ), based on Lamé's solution, the transformed radial Srel and
hoop Sθel take the following form:
 

Rpl 2
Srel = S0 − S0 − Picr (15)
r
 
el cr

Rpl 2
Sθ = S0 + S0 − Pi (16)
r

The actual values of the radial σrel and hoop σθel stresses in the elastic region are
pl pl
obtained from Eqs. (11) and (12) by substituting Sr and Sθ with Srel and Sθel .
Based on Eq. (10) the radius of the plastic zone is 3.794 m and 2.582 m for the study
cases 1 and 2 respectively. The divergence between analytical and PLAXIS 2D results is
0.2% and 0.1%.
The radial σr and hoop σθ stresses are calculated based on Eqs. (11) and (12) for both
the plastic and the elastic region. Figures 4 and 5 present the comparison between
PLAXIS 2D and analytical results for the study cases 1 and 2 correspondingly. In study
case 1, radial stress equals 0 kPa at distance 2 m to the tunnel axis, while in study case 2
equals 2500 kPa (supporting stress). Both radial and hoop stresses converge to the

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 HOEK-BROWN MATERIAL MODEL

value of the far-filed stress (15000 kPa) as the distance to the opening axis increases. It
is concluded that the results are in good agreement and the Hoek-Brown model is
correctly implemented in PLAXIS.

-25,000

-20,000

-15,000
Stress (kPa)

-10,000 Analytical | radial stress

Analytical | hoop stress
-5,000 PLAXIS 2D | radial stress
PLAXIS 2D | hoop stress

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
Distance to the opening axis (m)

Figure 4 Radial and hoop stress in study case 1 (PLAXIS 2D)

-25,000

-20,000

-15,000
Stress (kPa)

-10,000 Analytical | radial stress

Analytical | hoop stress
PLAXIS 2D | radial stress
-5,000
PLAXIS 2D | hoop stress

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
Distance to the opening axis (m)

Figure 5 Radial and hoop stress in study case 2 (PLAXIS 2D)

REFERENCES

[1] Carranza-Torres, C. (2004). Elasto-plastic solution of tunnel problems using the

generalized form of the hoek-brown failure criterion. International Journal of Rock
Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 41, 629–639.
[2] Hoek, E., Brown, E. (1980). Empirical strength criterion for rock masses. Journal of
Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 106, 1013–35.
[3] Hoek, E., Carranza-Torres, C., Corkum, B. (2002). Hoek-brown failure criterion -
2002 edition. Proceedings of NARMS-TAC, 1, 267–273.
[4] Marinos, P., Hoek, E. (2000). Gsi: a geologically friendly tool for rock mass strength
estimation. In ISRM International Symposium. International Society for Rock
Mechanics.

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