Experimental and numerical investigation of plastic fatigue strain localization in brittle materials: An application of cyclic loading and fatigue on mechanical tunnel boring technologies

This paper introduces Dynamic Cutting Disc (DCD) technology, a new hard rock cutting technology using mechanical cyclic loading. The results of cutting tests using DCD technology showed cutting forces and Specific Energy (SE) were found decreasing by the effect of rock fatigue strain localization and cyclic indentation mechanisms. In conclusion, the Fracture Process Zone (FPZ) and fatigue strain localization effect have been demonstrated by XFEM numerical methods and experimental analyses using CCNBD and DCD technology to explain how the fatigue effect is innovative in designing the new tunnel boring technologies and analyzing fatigue damage mechanism of brittle materials.