Universal Discontinuity Index (udi) Digital Twin Models Rock Mass Anisotropy Scale Effects On Rock Behavior Automation In Geotechnical Engineering Digitalization In Mining 4.0

External authors:

• Nayadeth Cortes ( Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso )
• Pengzhi Pan ( Wuhan Institute of Rock & Soil Mechanics, CAS )
• Abbas Taheri ( Queens University - Canada )
• Ehsan Mohtarami ( Arak Univ Technol )
• Hajar Shareisahafani ( Universidad de Chile )
• Alvaro Pena ( Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso )
• Elham Bakhshi ( Universidad de Talca )
• Benoit Crespin ( CNRS - Institute for Engineering & Systems Sciences (INSIS) )

Abstract:

This study investigates the integration of the universal discontinuity index (UDi) into digital twin (DT) models of rock masses, presenting a novel quantitative statistical semantic damage model (QSSDM) that aligns with the digitalization advancements of Industry 4.0. Unlike traditional empirical classification systems such as RMR, Q system, GSI, and RMi-which often lack a robust theoretical basis and fall short of encompassing all engineering designs-UDi offers an objective, comprehensive assessment grounded in probabilistic fracture mechanics and damage theory. The UDi framework classifies rock deformation processes into semantic categories based on a stress-strain ontology, including elastic, elastic-plastic, peak strength and post peak parts. This study validates the effectiveness of UDi through its application in various case studies, including experimental laboratory settings and numerical field-scale analyses for predicting rock strength under different loading conditions. The results show strong agreement between UDi-based rock strength predictions and those derived from both experimental and numerical analyses. These experiments demonstrate that the Universal Discontinuity Index (UDi) effectively captures the anisotropic behavior of rock resulting from discontinuities and the stress field, as well as the influence of scale variations, confinement stress, and infill material within the discontinuities. Moreover, the findings underscore the UDi's versatility and adaptability across a wide range of applications. Additionally, UDi and other classification approaches were applied to predict the severity of overbreak along a tunnel at El Teniente mine. There is a notable correlation between the observed overbreak patterns and UDi variations, though this validation is more qualitative in nature. Overall, UDi represents a significant advancement in semantic modeling for geotechnical engineering and mining, facilitating a more coherent and practical application of DT concepts in rock mechanics and supporting the transition towards Mining 4.0.