Influence of bedding on fracture toughness and failure patterns of anisotropic shale

The initiation and propagation of hydraulic fractures are closely related to the fracture ability of rocks. Such processes in shale reservoirs are, to a certain extent, controlled by bedding. However, the control mechanism of bedding on the anisotropy of fracture toughness and fracturing behavior remains unclear. In this study, a series of numerical notched semi-circular bend (NSCB) tests are conducted using the discrete element method (DEM) to investigate the influence of bedding properties on the anisotropy of fracture toughness and fracture patterns. Based on the DEM framework, a novel simulation method is proposed to accurately identify two key fracture indicators, the fracture process zone (FPZ) and crack tip opening displacement (CTOD), to reveal the fracture driving mechanism. The results show that the fracture toughness of shale is negatively correlated with bedding angles β but positively correlated with bedding spacing and bedding strength. Both the bedding strength and spacing significantly influence the fracture pattern of the specimens with β = 0°–60°, whereas the specimen with β = 90° is scarcely affected by the bedding planes. The evolution of the CTOD and FPZ in shale exhibits distinct phased characteristics. Due to the strong suppression effect of low-angle bedding planes on pre-peak crack deflection, the CTOD and FPZ exhibit opposite trends with respect to bedding angles before and after the peak load. This study facilitates the understanding of the fracture propagation process of anisotropic shale and could provide guidance for hydraulic fracturing design in shale reservoirs.