Abstract：Sandstone is a typical discontinuous and heterogeneous material characterized by a significant presence of pores. Porosity is a crucial factor that influences the complex characteristics of sandstone, notably affecting its compressive strength and deformation parameters. It is of considerable theoretical significance and engineering value to investigate the impact of porosity on the fracture behavior of sandstone under compressive loading. In this paper, we apply both the Intermediately-Homogenized PeriDynamic (IH-PD) model and the Fully-Homogenized PeriDynamic (FH-PD) model to examine the fracture behavior of sandstone containing a single oval flaw subjected to uniaxial compression. The IH-PD model incorporates porosity as pre-existing PD damages, wherein mechanical bonds connected to PD nodes are randomly pre-broken to achieve the desired porosity. The IH-PD model considers the heterogeneous characteristics of sandstone without detailing the explicit geometry of the actual pores. Simulation results from the IH-PD model indicate that both pore size and particle size influence the fracture mode of sandstone under uniaxial compression. A comparative analysis of fracture modes and stress-strain curves from IH-PD simulations, FH-PD simulations, and experimental measurements confirms the accuracy and superiority of the IH-PD model for simulating compressive fracture behavior. The results indicate that only the IH-PD model, which accounts for the inherent heterogeneities of sandstone, can adequately reflect the variations in crack paths caused by changes in pore distribution. Moreover, the IH-PD model successfully reproduces tortuous crack paths, captures transverse cracks in sandstone under compression, and exhibits asymmetric fracture modes, which markedly differ from the FH-PD simulation outcomes. This work employs the IH-PD model to investigate the fracture behavior of sandstone containing a single oval flaw with varying porosity levels under uniaxial compression, elucidating the influence of porosity on the failure modes of sandstone. The findings underscore the significant impact of porosity on the paths, roughness, and tortuosity of cracks. As porosity increases, the cracks exhibit greater tortuosity and roughness, and the symmetry of fracture modes becomes more easily disrupted.
2025, Vol. 46 
