1

An exact implementation of the Hoek-Brown criterion in

FLAC (2D or 3D)
Abstract
This report presents a plastic stress update algorithm for the exact generalized Hoek-Brown criterion
(modhb) including the apex and corner singularities. The model builds on the constitutive efforts of J ohan
Clausen and Lars Damkilde (2008). The plastic flow rule is taken to be non-associated with a plastic
potential which are similar to the yield criterion. Perfect plasticity and isotropic linear elasticity are
assumed. The stress update algorithm belongs to the class of algorithms termed return mapping, backward
Euler or implicit integration.
The Hoek-Brown criterion
The material parameters for the rock mass are derived from two parameters relating to the intact rock
material, coupled with two parameters which characterize the quality of the in-situ rock mass. The intact
rock parameters are the uniaxial compressive strength of the intact rock material, o
c
, and the petrographic
constant, m
i
. The first in-situ parameter is the Geological Strength Index, GSI, which is a qualitative
classification number for rock masses, see e.g. reference (Marinos et al., 2005). The second in-situ
parameter is the disturbance factor, D, which ranges from 0 to 1 (Hoek et al., 2002). For undisturbed rock
masses D =0. Based on these parameters the failure criterion is written as (J . Clausen and L. Damkilde,
2008):
o
1
= o
3
+o
c
[m
b
c
3
c
ci
+s
u
(1)
where o
1
> o
2
> o
3
are the effective principal stresses. In Eq. (1) compression is taken as positive, which
is often the case in rock mechanics and geotechnical engineering. Later on in this paper tension will be
taken as positive and this is denoted by o
1
, o
2
, o
3
without a prime. The empirically determined parameters
m
b
, s and a are given by
m
b
= m

c
GSI-100
28-14D
(2)
s = c
GSI-100
9-3D
(3)
o =
1
2
+
1
6
[c
-
GSI
1S
-c
-
20
3
(4)


T
D
E
or
E
T
H
F
S
In
gi
st
st
ap





The rock m
Diederichs,20
E
m
=
1
1+c
(S+
r, if the intac
E
m
= E

[u.
Typical value
Hoek-Brown
Figure 1. (a)
Stress upda
n order to ob
iven using a
tandard meth
tress is then
pply, as can
Return to th
Return to th
Return to th
Return to th

mass modulu
006)
1- 2
+2SD-GSI) 11
.
ct rock modu
u2 +
1
1+c
(60+
es of Poisso
criterion in
The Hoek-B
ate for Ho
btain unknow
an increment
hods. In prin
n back trans
be seen on F
he yield surfa
he curve l
1

he curve l
2

he apex o
t


us of elastic
1u
5
HPo
ulus, E
i
, is kn
1- 2
+1SD-GSI) 11

ons ratio,
full three-di
(a)
Brown criter
(b
oek-Brown
wn stress in
tal elastic str
ncipal stress
formed into
Figure 1b,
face

city, E
rm
, c

nown

, for rock m
mensional p

ion in princi
b) the four di
n plasticity
ncrement, the
ress-strain la
space the st
xyz-space.

2
can be estim


masses are g
principal stre

ipal stress sp
ifferent stres
y
e predictor s
aw. The princ
tress is then
For Hoek-B

mated usin


given in (E.
ess space can

pace. The hy
ss returns.
stress state i
cipal predict
returned to
Brown plasti

g the follo


Hoek, E. T
n be seen on
(b)
ydrostatic str
in the gener
tor stresses,
the yield su
icity four di
owing (E. H


T. Brown, 19
Figure 1a.
ress axis is d
al stress spa
o
B
, are then
urface and th
ifferent stre

Hoek, M.
(5)
(6)
997). The
denoted p.
ace, o
B
, is
n found by
he updated
ss returns


3

The first step is to determine whether the stress should be returned to the apex. If this is the case the
updated stress is simply the apex stress. If the stress is not to be returned to the apex, a yield surface or the
edges return is initiated. A detailed description of the constitutive model, its simulative potential is given
in (Clausen, 2007).
Model input parameters
Model Parameters (modhb)
Name Description
young (or bulk) Young's modulus (or bulk modulus)
poisson (or shear)
Poisson's ratio (or shear modulus)
comp Uniaxial compressive strength of the intact rock
m "friction" parameter of the rock mass
s Hoek-Brown parameter
a Curvature parameter in the Hoek-Brown criterion
mg "dilation" parameter of the rock mass
sg Hoek-Brown plastic potential parameter
ag Curvature parameter in the Hoek-Brown plastic potential
Included documents / files
modelModHB2D32.dll
a DLL file of the ModHB model compiled with Microsoft Visual C++
2005 at 32bit for FLAC v6.0.
modelModHB2D32.dll
a DLL file of the ModHB model compiled with Microsoft Visual C++
2005 at 32bit for FLAC v7.0.
modelModHB3D32.dll
a DLL file of the ModHB model compiled with Microsoft Visual C++
2005 at 32bit for FLAC-3D v.4.00.32 32bit.
modelModHB3D64.dll
a DLL file of the ModHB model compiled with Microsoft Visual C++
2005 at 64bit for FLAC-3D v.4.00.32 64bit.
modelModHB3D32.dll
a DLL file of the ModHB model compiled with Microsoft Visual C++
2010 at 32bit for FLAC-3D v.5.00.86 32bit.
modelModHB3D64.dll
a DLL file of the ModHB model compiled with Microsoft Visual C++
2010 at 32bit for FLAC-3D v.5.00.86 64bit.
Example2D.dat example input file test for FLAC
2D
.
Example3D32.dat example input file test for FLAC
3D
-32bit.
Example3D64.dat example input file test for FLAC
3D
-64bit.



4

Contact address

University of California, Berkeley
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Geoengineering Department
PhD. Candidate Roozbeh Geraili Mikola / Prof. Nicholas Sitar
Davis Hall
UC Berkeley
Berkeley, California
94720-1710
Phone: (510) 643-8623
Fax: (510) 642-7476
e-mail: roozbehg@berkeley.edu / sitar@ce.berkeley.edu

AALBORG University
Department of Civil Engineering, Division of Structural Mechanics
Ass. Prof. Johan Clausen
Sohngrdsholmsvej 57,
9000, Aalborg
Denmark
Phone: 9940 7234
Fax: 9940 8552
e-mail: jc@civil.aau.dk


Acknowledgments

This work was performed with funding from NSF-NEES-CR Grant No. CMMI-0936376: Seismic Earth
Pressures on Retaining Structures through collaborative project Between University of California,
Berkeley and Itasca Consulting Group Inc. Programs FLAC
2D
and FLAC
3D
were generously made
available by Itasca Consulting Group Inc. under collaborative research agreements.








5

References

J . Clausen, L. Damkilde, An exact implementation of the HoekBrown criterion for elasto-plastic finite
element calculations in International J ournal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences 45 (2008) , 831-847.
J . Clausen, Efficient non-linear finite element implementation of elasto-plasticity for geotechnical
problems. Ph.D. thesis, 2007, (http://vbn.aau.dk/files/14058639/J Cthesis.pdf).
E. Hoek, E. T. Brown, Practical estimates of rock mass strength, International J ournal of Rock Mechanics
& Mining Sciences 34 (8) (1997), 11651186.
E. Hoek, M. S. Diederichs, Empirical estimation of rock mass modulus, International J ournal of Rock
Mechanics & Mining Sciences 43 (2006), 203215.
E. Hoek, C. Carranza-Torres, B. Corkum, Hoek-Brown failure criterion - 2002 edition, in: Proceedings of
the North American Rock Mechanics Society Meeting in Toronto in J uly 2002, 2002.
V. Marinos, P. Marinos, E. Hoek, The geological strength index: applications and limitations, Bulletin of
Engineering Geology and the Environment 64 (2005), 5565.