ABSTRACT
65Damage mechanics of rocks is a concept that requires a comprehensive presentation as it involves multiple physical and sometimes chemical phenomena. Mechanical damage is inextricably linked to cracking and the resulting loss of mechanical properties. A collateral effect of damage is the alteration of the fluid transport characteristics of rocks that can have geoenvironmental consequences. This chapter outlines damage characterization at the scale of the microstructure of a rock specimen and then presents different analytical approaches available to mathematically describe the evolution of the mechanical properties. These approaches essentially rely on Fracture Mechanics and Continuum Damage Mechanics. Finally some examples of numerical modeling are presented to illustrate their application in the field of rock engineering. The chapter also presents a brief review of the techniques that can be adopted to integrate results of damage mechanics to fluid transport phenomena.
