Several high-quality publications (mostly peer-reviewed journal articles) have been produced through research work at the Geological Processes Modeling Research Institute and contributor organization GNO Modeling Research LLC. The areas of publication include geotechnical analysis of foundations, hydraulic fracturing, concrete dam engineering, mechanical behavior of concrete, and rock mechanics.
- Ofoegbu, G.I.; Smart, K.J.; Dasgupta, B. Assessing the effects of induced tensile stress on geotechnical behavior of foundations using fracture-based continuum modeling. Processes 2025, 13, 3836. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13123836
This paper uses numerical simulations to make a case that the current conventional analysis of foundations based on using bearing capacity factors is inappropriate for foundations that induce tensile stress in the subsurface materials, such as foundations sited on sloping ground or subsurface materials with complex geometrical and material transitions. For such foundations, the paper describes an alternative analysis based on full-scale load-testing the foundation by numerical simulations using FBCM. The effectiveness of FBCM arises from modeling the internal failure mechanisms of geologic materials by modeling the initiation and propagation of shear and tensile failure surfaces (also known as fractures).
- Ofoegbu GI (2024). Using fracture-based continuum modeling of coupled geomechanical-hydrological processes for numerical simulation of hydraulic fracturing. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering 16(5):1582-1599. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2023.07.009.
This paper describes using FBCM for geomechanical and geohydrological modeling and coupling the analyses sequentially to simulate hydraulic fracturing of previously unfractured rock and rock with preexisting fractures at various orientations. The paper also provides verification of FBCM hydrological modeling.
- Ofoegbu GI and B Dasgupta (2021) Analysis of concrete dam response to dynamic loading using fracture-based modeling. USSD 2021 Annual Conference, held online, May 2021. https://ussd.conferencespot.org/2021/pdf/2021a069/2021fl069.
This paper introduces an approach to concrete dam modeling that characterizes potential damage by providing the location, orientation, and full geometry of any new fractures and damage zones formed by fracture coalescence. The paper provides an example with the Pine Flat dam subjected to dynamic loading sufficient to generate inelastic response. The results illustrate characterization of potential damage (fractures that initiate, propagate, and coalesce to form damage zones), natural damping due to hysteretic motions on induced fracture surfaces, and sensitivity of predicted potential damage to the input ground motion frequency and tensile strength of concrete.
- Ofoegbu GI, B Dasgupta, and KJ Smart (2020). Fracture-based mechanical modeling of concrete, Results in Engineering 6, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2020.100107
This paper presents mechanical analysis of concrete based on modeling discrete fractures explicitly and using pre-existing cracks generated stochastically. The analysis benefitted from the capability of CanFrac to incorporate large numbers of fractures and allow the evaluation of multiple fracture distribution scenarios using the same domain discretization. Thus, uncertainties due to fracture characterization can be assessed. Analysis such as described in this paper could provide basis for mechanical modeling of concrete dams and evolving the model temporally to study aging effects.
- Ofoegbu GI and KJ Smart (2019). Modeling discrete fractures in continuum analysis and insights for fracture propagation and mechanical behavior of fractured rock. Results in Engineering 4 (2019), 100070. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2019.100070
This paper describes the formulation of FBCM and provides verification of FBCM using basic rock mechanics laboratory test loading conditions.
Geological processes modeling (GPM) research Institute 