Micromechanical models of the strength of a sandstone

In this paper, the strength of a sandstone is determined from a micromechanical approach. The microstructure of the rock is described as a porous polycrystal. A von Mises criterion is used for the strength of the solid grains. The grains are surrounded by Mohr–Coulomb interfaces describing the cement phase. The macroscopic strength of the polycrystal is determined by means of nonlinear homogenization techniques. The failure mechanism of the grains is assumed to be ductile. It is combined with a failure mechanism of the interfaces, which is successively assumed to be ductile and brittle. The theoretical predictions are then compared with the experimental data. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.