Through constructing statistical fracture network model based on discrete element method, the evolution characteristics of the fracture aperture had been directly simulated and evaluated caused by redistributed stress after the borehole excavation. This study focuses on the size effect of the discrete element method for the analysis of the effective distance of fracture aperture change after the borehole excavation. A two-dimensional trace-type domain with a maximum size of 1.1 m2 was created using a discrete fracture network with stochastic information of KURT. A total of eight domains with different sizes were constructed from the largest domain area to the 0.4 m2 analysis area. The aperture change ratio which can be depending on the domain size was examined. The ratio was investigated by comparing the aperture size before and after the simulation of borehole excavation. In addition, the effective range of aperture changes was analyzed by comparing the re-distribution distance from the center of the borehole. Based on dimensional analysis, input variables (borehole radius, occurrence distance of aperture changes, domain size) were modeled using exponential distribution form. Through the analysis model, two dimensionless variables were derived to investigate the expected distance of the aperture changes and appropriate DFN domain size for simulating bole excavation. As an application example of the 3-inch borehole simulation, the analysis model predicted that the range of aperture changes could occur within a radius of about 0.98 m from the borehole center, and the suitable size of the model had been inferred as about 5 × 5 m for minimizing the domain size effect.

• Chae-Soon Choi(Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 111, Daedeok-daero 989beon-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon) Corresponding author
• Sung-Hoon Ji(Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 111, Daedeok-daero 989beon-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon)
• Kyung-Woo Park(Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 111, Daedeok-daero 989beon-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon)