This diploma thesis is focused on finite element analysis of storage tank. The designed computational model in this work is based on existing storage tank documentation. Diploma thesis is divided into parts. Introduction part consists of various storage tanks types description and basis of finite element method. Next part contains methodical process of computational model designs, its characteristics and purpose. Designed models are loaded with set of specific border conditions. These tests are evaluated and described more closely. After that, the table of results is created and von Misses stress of all models is compared. The best model matching real construction is selected after this compare. The final part of this work consists of suggested construction changes based on the analysis results.

Shot peening is a cold-working surface treatment, basically consisting in pelting the surface of the to-be-treated component with a high number of small hard particles blown at relatively high velocity. This causes the plasticization of the surface layer of the substrate, and the generation of a compressive residual stress field beneath the component surface. The surface topology modification can be beneficial for coating adhesion, and the work hardening enhances the fretting resistance of components, but the most commonly appreciated advantage of the process is the increased fatigue resistance in the treated component, due to the compressive residual stress which inhibits the nucleation and propagation of fatigue cracks. In spite of its widespread use, the mechanisms underlying the shot peening process are not completely clear. Many process parameters are involved (material, dimension, velocity of the shots, coverage, substrate mechanical behavior) and their complex mutual interaction affects the success of the process as well as the jeopardizing of any beneficial effect due to the increased surface roughness. Experimental measurements are excessively expensive and time-costly to deal with the wide variability of the process parameters, and their feasibility is not always granted. The effect of shot peening is indeed particularly effective where geometrical details (e.g. notches or grooves) act as stress raisers and where the direct measurement of residual stresses is very difficult. Nonetheless, the knwoledge of the effects of the treatment in this crictical locations would be extremely useful for the quantitative assessment of the effect of shot peening and, ultimately, for the optimization fo the process as well as its complete integration in the design process. The implementation of the finite element method for the simulation of shot peening has been studied since many years. In this thesis the simulation of shot peening is studied, in order to progress towards a simulation approach to be used in the industrial practice. Specifically, the B120 micro shot peening treatment performed with micrometric ceramic beads is studied, which has proven to be very effective of aluminum alloys, such as the aeronautical grade Al7075-T651 alloy considered in this work. The simulation of shot peening on a flat surface is addressed at first. The nominal process parameters are used, to include stochastic variability of the shot dimensions and velocity. A MatLab routine based on the linearization of the impact dent dimension, on the shot dimension and velocity is used to assess the coverage level prior to the simulation and predict the number of shots to full coverage. To best reproduce the hardening phenomena of the substrate material under repeated impacts, the Lemaitre-Chaboche model is tuned on cyclic strain tests. Explicit dynamic finite element simulations are carried out and the statistical nature of the peening treatment is taken into account. The results extracted from the numerical analyses are the final surface roughness and residual stresses, which are compared to the experimentally measured values. A specific novel procedure is devised to account for the effect of surface roughness and radiation penetration in the in-depth residual stress profile. In addition, a static finite element model is devised to assess the concentration effect exerted by the increased surface roughness on an external stress. The simulation of shot peening on an edge is then addressed as a first step towards more complex geometries. Since the true peening conditions are not known in this locations, a synergistic discrete element - finite element method approach is chosen for the correct modelization of the process. A discrete element model of the peening process on a flat surface is used to tune the simulation on the nominal process parameters, i.e. mass flow rate and average shot velocity, and to assess the nozzle translational velocity. Discrete element simulations are used to simulate the process when the nozzle turns around the edge tip. To lower the computing cost, the process is linearized into static-nozzle simulations at different tilting angles. The number of impacting shots and their impact velocity distribution are used to set up the finite element simulations, from which the resulting residual stress field is obtained. In addition to the realistic simulation, two simplified simulation approaches for the practical industrial use are devised. The resulting residual stress fields are compared with the reference residual stress field computed using thermal fields in a finite element simulation, tuned with experimental XRD measurements. The effect of the dimension of the fillet on the edge tip is studied by modifying the finite element model of shot peening on an edge. 3 different fillet radii (up to 40 um) are considered, on the basis of experimental observations. The resulting residual stress field are compared to analyze the effect of the precise geometry of the substrate. Lastly, the simplified simulation approach devised in the case of the edge is used to simulate shot peening on the root of a notch. The resulting residual stress field is again compared to the reconstructed reference one.

Despite the many attractive features of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) composites, they are prone to failure due to delamination. The ability to tailor the fiber/matrix interface FRPs is crucial to the development of composite materials with enhanced structural performance. In this dissertation, ZnO nanowires (NWs) were grown on the surface of carbon fibers utilizing low temperature hydrothermal synthesis technique prior to the hybrid composite fabrication. The scanning electron microscopy revealed that the ZnO nanowires were grown uniformly on the surface of the carbon fabric. The surface grown ZnO NWs functionally-graded the composite material properties and ensured effective load transfer across the interface. To assess the influence of the ZnO NWs growth, reference samples were also prepared by exposing the carbon fabric to the hydrothermal conditions. The damping properties of the hybrid ZnO NWs-CFRP composite were examined using the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) technique. The results showed enhanced energy dissipation within the hybrid composite. Quasi-static tensile testing revealed that the in-plane and out-of-plane strengths and moduli of the hybrid FRP composite were also boosted. The interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) measurements suggested the improvement in the mechanical properties of the composite to the enhanced adhesion between the ZnO nanowires and the other constituents (carbon fiber and epoxy). It was necessary thus, to utilize the molecular dynamics simulations (MD) to investigate the adhesion within the CFRP structure upon growing the ZnO nanowires on the surface of the carbon fibers. Molecular models of the carbon fibers, the epoxy matrix and the ZnO nanowires were built. The resulting molecular structures were minimized and placed within a simulation box with periodic boundary conditions. The MD simulations were performed using the force field COMPASS to account for the empirical energy interactions between the different toms in the simulation box. Proper statistical thermodynamics were employed to relate the dynamics of the molecular model to the macroscale thermodynamic states (pressure, temperature and volume). Per the computed potential energies of the different components of the composite, it was found that the polar surfaces in the ZnO structures facilitates good adhesion properties in the graphite-epoxy composite. Besides the attractive mechanical properties of the ZnO nanowires, their piezoelectric and semiconductor properties were sought to design an energy harvesting device. To ensure sufficient charges collection from the mechanically stressed individual ZnO nanowires, a copper layer was sputtered on top of the ZnO nanowires which introduced also a Schottky effect. The mechanical excitation was provided by exposing the device to different vibration environment. The output voltage and currents were measured at the conditions (in terms of frequency and resistive load). It was demonstrated that the electrical output could be enhanced by stacking up similar devices in series or in parallel. Finally, in an attempt to exploit the reversibility of the electromechanical coupling of the energy harvesting device, the constitutive properties of the hybrid ZnO nanowires-CFRP composite were estimated using the Mori-Tanaka approach. This approach was validated by a finite element model (FEM). The FEM simulations were performed on a representative volume element (RVE) to reduce the computational time. The results demonstrated that the mechanical properties of the hybrid ZnO NWs-CFRP composite were better than those for the baseline CFRP composite with identical carbon fiber volume fraction (but with no ZnO NWs) which confirmed the experimental findings. Furthermore, the electro-elastic properties of the hybrid composite were determined by applying proper boundary conditions to the FE RVE. The work outlined in this dissertation will enable significant advancement in the next generation of hybrid composites with improved structural and energy harvesting multifunctionalties. / Ph. D.

The fall-cone test is widely used in geotechnical practice to obtain rapid estimates of the undrained shear strength of cohesive soil, and as an index test to determine the liquid limit. This thesis is concerned with numerical modelling of the penetration of solids by conical indenters, and with interpretation of the numerical results in the context of the fall-cone test. Experimental studies of shallow cone penetration in clay are also reported, with the aim of verifying the numerical predictions. The practical significance of the results, in terms of the interpretation of fall-cone test results, is assessed. Results are reported from finite element analyses with the commercial codes ELFEN and Abaqus, in which an explicit dynamic approach was adopted for analysis of continuous cone indentation. Quasi-static analyses using an elastoplastic Tresca material model are used to obtain bearing capacity factors for shallow cone penetration, taking account of the material displaced, for various cone apex angles and adhesion factors. Further analyses are reported in which a simple extension of the Tresca material model, implemented as a user-defined material subroutine for Abaqus, is used to simulate viscous rate effects (known to be important in cohesive soils). Some analyses with the rate-dependent model are displacement-controlled, while others model the effect of rate-dependence on the dynamics of freefall cone indentation tests. Laboratory measurements of the forces required to indent clay samples in the laboratory are reported. Results from displacement-controlled tests with imposed step-changes in cone speed, and from freefall tests, confirm that the numerical rate-dependent strength model represents the observed behaviour well. Some results from experiments to observe plastic flow around conical indenters are also presented. Finally, additional numerical analyses are presented in which a critical state model of clay plasticity is used to study the variation of effective stress, strain and pore pressure around cones in indentation tests at various speeds.

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo elaborar um código computacional utilizando o Método dos Elementos Finitos para determinar o campo térmico tridimensional de elementos estruturais em situação de incêndio. A consideração dos efeitos térmicos do meio no estudo das estruturas de aço, de concreto, de madeira e mistas comumente empregadas tem sido mais frequente nos projetos atuais, pois é cada vez mais clara a necessidade de avaliar as mudanças das propriedades térmicas e mecânicas que o material apresenta em resposta às variações térmicas do meio envolvente, o que pode em alguns casos levar a estrutura ao colapso. O desenvolvimento da presente proposta de trabalho tem como base o Código de Análises Térmicas (CAT) pertencente ao código SYSAF (System for Structural Analisys in Fire), desenvolvido e apresentado em Rigobello (2011). O CAT permite a realização de análises térmicas transientes das seções transversais de elementos estruturais, contemplando apenas a realização de análises bidimensionais. A fim de permitir a realização de análises em campo tridimensional, neste trabalho o elemento finito térmico sólido hexaédrico é acrescentado ao CAT, dando origem ao código denominado FEMFIRE-3D (Finite Element Method in Fire), o qual realiza análises térmicas em regime transiente, determinando o campo térmico em seções transversais e ao longo do comprimento dos elementos estruturais analisados. A validação dos resultados obtidos com o FEMFIRE-3D nas seções transversais e ao longo do comprimento dos elementos estruturais é feita por meio da comparação dos resultados obtidos em casos presentes na literatura técnica (inclusive casos presentes nas normas brasileiras e internacionais, quando for aplicável) e que contemplam estruturas usuais em situações de incêndio, ou mesmo com resultados fornecidos por códigos reconhecidos por sua eficiência em análises térmicas de estruturas em situação de incêndio. / The present work deals with the development of a computer code using the finite element method to determine the three-dimensional thermal field of structural elements in fire. The consideration of the thermal effects of the medium in the study of structures of steel, concrete, wood and mixed commonly employed has been more frequent in current projects, due to the necessity to evaluate the changes of thermal and mechanical properties that material presented in response to thermal variations of the environment, which can in some cases lead to the collapse of the structure. The development of this work is based on the Code of Thermal Analysis (CAT) belonging to SYSAF code (System for Structural Analysis in Fire), developed and presented in Rigobello (2011). The CAT allows performing transient thermal analysis of cross sections of structural elements, limited the realization of two-dimensional analyses. To enable the analysis in three-dimensional field, in this work the thermal hexahedral element is added to the CAT, giving rise to the code named FEMFIRE 3D (Finite Element Method in Fire), which performs in transient thermal analysis, determining the thermal field in cross section and along the length of the structural elements. The validation of the results obtained with the FEMFIRE-3D in cross sections and along the length of the structural elements is done by comparing the results obtained in the present cases in the technical literature (including cases present in the Brazilian and international standards, where applicable) and include the usual structures in fire situations, or even results provided by codes recognized for its efficiency in thermal analysis of structures in fire.

The Finite Element Method is a powerful and widespread tool for the structural analysis of flexible pipes and umbilicals. However, it is unfeasible to represent in detail all layers and components of a flexible pipe or umbilical cable in a Finite Element (FE) model, since the calculation time would be unrealistic. Moreover, consistent numerical analysis requires support from experimental results. In this context, this thesis presents numerical and experimental research options, as well as the development of new strategies for the design of FE models of flexible pipes and umbilicals. Using the commercial FE software ABAQUS, the text highlights the development of innovative techniques to represent helical layers, as well as the concept of a two-dimensional FE analysis, supported by analytical formulation. Complementing the numerical approaches, pioneer experimental techniques herein developed are presented, based on optical instrumentation through a Digital Image Correlation (DIC) system. An unconventional use of the DIC system enables the development of an experimental methodology to study umbilicals under crushing loads. / Na análise estrutural de tubos flexíveis e cabos umbilicais, o Método de Elementos Finitos se destaca como uma ferramenta poderosa e bastante difundida. Contudo, é inviável representar em modelos baseados em Elementos Finitos (EF) um tubo flexível ou um cabo umbilical com toda sua riqueza de detalhes, pois os tempos de cálculo seriam irreais. Além disso, análises numéricas consistentes precisam de respaldo de resultados experimentais. Neste contexto, esta tese apresenta linhas de pesquisa numérica e experimental. O desenvolvimento de novas estratégias para a concepção de modelos em EF de tubos flexíveis e cabos umbilicais é apresentado. Utilizando o software comercial ABAQUS, destacam-se técnicas inovadoras para representação das camadas helicoidais, bem como a obtenção de modelos EF bidimensionais, amparados por formulação analítica. Complementando as abordagens numéricas, técnicas pioneiras de análise experimental são apresentadas, baseando-se em instrumentação óptica com sistema de correlação digital de imagens. Utilizado de forma não convencional, o monitoramento óptico permite o desenvolvimento de metodologia experimental para estudo de cabos umbilicais sob carregamentos de crushing.

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo elaborar um código computacional utilizando o Método dos Elementos Finitos para determinar o campo térmico tridimensional de elementos estruturais em situação de incêndio. A consideração dos efeitos térmicos do meio no estudo das estruturas de aço, de concreto, de madeira e mistas comumente empregadas tem sido mais frequente nos projetos atuais, pois é cada vez mais clara a necessidade de avaliar as mudanças das propriedades térmicas e mecânicas que o material apresenta em resposta às variações térmicas do meio envolvente, o que pode em alguns casos levar a estrutura ao colapso. O desenvolvimento da presente proposta de trabalho tem como base o Código de Análises Térmicas (CAT) pertencente ao código SYSAF (System for Structural Analisys in Fire), desenvolvido e apresentado em Rigobello (2011). O CAT permite a realização de análises térmicas transientes das seções transversais de elementos estruturais, contemplando apenas a realização de análises bidimensionais. A fim de permitir a realização de análises em campo tridimensional, neste trabalho o elemento finito térmico sólido hexaédrico é acrescentado ao CAT, dando origem ao código denominado FEMFIRE-3D (Finite Element Method in Fire), o qual realiza análises térmicas em regime transiente, determinando o campo térmico em seções transversais e ao longo do comprimento dos elementos estruturais analisados. A validação dos resultados obtidos com o FEMFIRE-3D nas seções transversais e ao longo do comprimento dos elementos estruturais é feita por meio da comparação dos resultados obtidos em casos presentes na literatura técnica (inclusive casos presentes nas normas brasileiras e internacionais, quando for aplicável) e que contemplam estruturas usuais em situações de incêndio, ou mesmo com resultados fornecidos por códigos reconhecidos por sua eficiência em análises térmicas de estruturas em situação de incêndio. / The present work deals with the development of a computer code using the finite element method to determine the three-dimensional thermal field of structural elements in fire. The consideration of the thermal effects of the medium in the study of structures of steel, concrete, wood and mixed commonly employed has been more frequent in current projects, due to the necessity to evaluate the changes of thermal and mechanical properties that material presented in response to thermal variations of the environment, which can in some cases lead to the collapse of the structure. The development of this work is based on the Code of Thermal Analysis (CAT) belonging to SYSAF code (System for Structural Analysis in Fire), developed and presented in Rigobello (2011). The CAT allows performing transient thermal analysis of cross sections of structural elements, limited the realization of two-dimensional analyses. To enable the analysis in three-dimensional field, in this work the thermal hexahedral element is added to the CAT, giving rise to the code named FEMFIRE 3D (Finite Element Method in Fire), which performs in transient thermal analysis, determining the thermal field in cross section and along the length of the structural elements. The validation of the results obtained with the FEMFIRE-3D in cross sections and along the length of the structural elements is done by comparing the results obtained in the present cases in the technical literature (including cases present in the Brazilian and international standards, where applicable) and include the usual structures in fire situations, or even results provided by codes recognized for its efficiency in thermal analysis of structures in fire.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo estudar escoamentos de tornados e sua ação sobre corpos imersos empregando ferramentas numéricas da Engenharia do Vento Computacional (EVC). Os tornados constituem-se atualmente em uma das causas de desastres naturais no Brasil, especialmente nas regiões sul e sudeste do país, como também em alguns países vizinhos. Os efeitos gerados são geralmente localizados e de curta duração, podendo ser devastadores dependendo da escala do tornado. Tais características dificultam a realização de estudos detalhados a partir de eventos reais, o que levou ao desenvolvimento de modelos experimentais e numéricos. A abordagem numérica é utilizada neste trabalho para a simulação de tornados, a qual se baseia nas equações de Navier-Stokes e na equação de conservação de massa, considerando a hipótese de pseudo-compressibilidade e condições isotérmicas. Para escoamentos com turbulência utiliza-se a Simulação Direta de Grandes Escalas com o modelo clássico de Smagorinsky para as escalas inferiores à resolução da malha (Large Eddy Simulation ou LES em inglês). A discretização das equações fundamentais do escoamento se realiza com um esquema explícito de dois passos de Taylor-Galerkin, onde o Método dos Elementos Finitos é empregado na discretização espacial utilizando-se o elemento hexaédrico trilinear isoparamétrico com um ponto de integração e controle de modos espúrios Na presença de corpos imersos que se movem para simular os deslocamentos dos tornados, o escoamento é descrito cinematicamente através de uma formulação Arbitrária Lagrangeana-Euleriana (ALE) que inclui um esquema de movimento de malha. Tornados são reproduzidos através da simulação numérica de dispositivos experimentais e do Modelo de Vórtice Combinado de Rankine (RCVM). Exemplos clássicos da Dinâmica dos Fluidos Computacional são apresentados inicialmente para a verificação das ferramentas numéricas implementadas. Finalmente, problemas envolvendo tornados móveis e estacionários são analisados, incluindo sua ação sobre corpos imersos. Nos modelos baseados em experimentos, a variação da relação de redemoinho determinou os diferentes padrões de escoamento observados no laboratório. Nos exemplos de modelo de vórtice, quando o tornado impactou o corpo imerso gerou picos de forças em todas as direções e, após a passar pelo mesmo, produziu uma alteração significativa na estrutura do vórtice. / Analyses of tornado flows and its action on immersed bodies using numerical tools of Computational Wind Engineering (CWE) are the main aims of the present work. Tornadoes are currently one of the causes of natural disasters in Brazil, occurring more frequently in the southern and southeastern regions of the country, as well as in some neighboring countries. Effects are usually localized, presenting a short time interval, which can be devastating depending on the scale of the tornado. These characteristics difficult to carry out detailed studies based on real events, leading to the development of experimental and numerical models. The numerical approach is used in this work for the simulation of tornadoes, which is based on the Navier-Stokes equations and the mass conservation equation, considering the hypothesis of pseudo-compressibility and isothermal conditions. For turbulent flows, Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is used with the classical Smagorinsky model for sub-grid scales Discretization is performed the explicit two-step Taylor-Galerkin scheme, where the Finite Element Method is used in spatial discretization using isoparametric trilinear hexahedral elements with one-point quadrature and hourglass control. In the presence of immersed bodies that are moving in order to simulate translating tornadoes, the flow is kinematically described through a Lagrangian-Eulerian Arbitrary (ALE) formulation, which includes a mesh motion scheme. Tornadoes are reproduced using numerical simulation of experimental devices and the Rankine Combined Vortex Model (RCVM). Classical examples of Computational Fluid Dynamics are presented initially for the verification of the numerical tools implemented here. Finally, problems involving moving and stationary tornadoes are analyzed, including their actions on immersed bodies. For models based on experiments, the variation of the swirl ratio determined the different flow patterns observed in the laboratory. In the vortex model examples, when the tornado impacted on the immersed body, peaks of forces were generated in all directions and, after passing over it, a significant change in the structure of the vortex was produced.

In this thesis, fractured rock masses are treated asequivalent continua for large-scale analyses of rockengineering projects. Systematic developments are made for thedetermination of equivalent mechanical and hydraulic propertiesof fractured rock masses using a hybrid discrete fracturenetwork - distinct element method (DFN-DEM) approach. Thedetermined equivalent properties are then used for a far-fieldfinite element analysis of the thermo-mechanical impacts on thestress, deformation and permeability of fractured rockssurrounding a hypothetical geological repository of nuclearwaste. The geological data were extracted from the results ofan extensive site investigation programme at Sellafield, UK,conducted by Nirex UK Ltd. The scale dependencies of the hydraulic and mechanicalproperties were investigated by using multiple realizations ofthe fracture system geometry with increasing model sizes untilproperly defined hydraulic and mechanical representativeelementary volumes (REVs) were reached. The validity of thesecond order permeability tensor and the fourth-ordermechanical compliance tensor were tested for continuum analysesat larger scales. The REV was determined to be around 5 m formechanical and hydraulic data in this study. Analysis of the stress-dependent mechanical and hydraulicproperties shows that the effect of rock stresses is crucial.The elastic moduli increase significantly with the increase ofstress and an empirical equation of stress-dependent elasticmodulus is suggested based on results of numerical experiments.Calculations of the Poisson's ratios suggest greater valuesthan are normally assumed in practice. Depending on the stateof stress, permeability decreases or increases with increasingcompressive stress. Stress-induced flow channeling effect iscaptured by numerical modeling for the first time and detailedmechanisms of shear dilation of fractures are provided. Basedon the numerical experiments, a set of empirical equations wassuggested for the stress-dependent permeability, consideringboth normal deformation and shear dilation of fractures. Thermo-mechanical impact on the performance of ahypothetical repository at a far-field scale (5 km by 1 km) wasinvestigated with the stress-dependent equivalent propertiesdetermined at the REV scale. This analysis shows thatmechanical responses vary significantly depending on how themechanical properties were determined. The change ofpermeability due to the thermal loading is, however, notsignificant in this particular case. The thesis provides a framework for systematic analysis oflarge-scale engineering applications in fractured rock masses,such as geological repositories of nuclear wastes. Keyword:Fractured rock masses, Equivalent Continuum,Discrete Fracture Network (DFN), Distinct Element Method (DEM),Finite Element Method (FEM), Nuclear Waste Disposal, CoupledThermo-Hydro-Mechanical Processes

This thesis investigates the effect of scale on themorphology, mechanics and transmissivity of single rockfractures using both laboratory and in-situ experiments, aswell as numerical simulations. Using a laboratory 3D laserscanner, the surface topography of a large silicon-rubberfracture replica of size 1m x 1m, as well as the topography ofboth surfaces of several high-strength concrete fracturereplicas varying in size from 50mmx50mm to 200mm x 200mm, werescanned. A geodetic Total Station and an in-situ 3D laser radarwere also utilized to scan the surface topography of a largenatural road-cut rock face of size 20m x 15m in the field. Thisdigital characterization of the fracture samples was then usedto investigate the scale dependency of the three dimensionalmorphology of the fractures using a fractal approach. Thefractal parameters of the surface roughness of all fracturesamples, including the geometrical aperture of the concretefracture samples, were obtained using the Roughness-Lengthmethod. The results obtained from the fractal characterization ofthe surface roughness of the fracture samples show that bothfractal dimension, D, and amplitude parameter, A, for aself-affine surface are scale-dependent, heterogeneous andanisotropic, and their values generally decrease withincreasing size of the sample. However, this scale-dependencyis limited to a certain size—defined as the stationaritythreshold, where the surface roughness parameters of thefracture samples remain essentially constant beyond thisstationarity threshold. The surface roughness and thegeometrical aperture of the tested concrete fracture replicasin this study did not reach stationarity due to the structuralnon-stationarity of their surface at small scales. Although theaperture histogram of the fractures was almost independent ofthe sample size, below their stationarity threshold both theHurst exponent, Hb, and aperture proportionality constant, Gb,decrease on increasing the sample sizes. To investigate the scale effect on the mechanical propertiesof single rock fractures, several normal loading and directshear tests were performed on the concrete fracture replicassubjected to different normal stresses under Constant NormalLoad (CNL) conditions. The results showed that both normal andshear stiffnesses, as well as the shear strength parameters ofthe fracture samples, decrease on increasing the sample size.It was observed that the structural non-stationarity of surfaceroughness largely controls the contact areas and damage zoneson the fracture surfaces as related to the direction of theshearing. The aperture maps of the concrete fracture replicas ofvarying size and at different shear displacements, obtainedfrom numerical simulation of the aperture evolution duringshearing using their digitized surfaces, were used toinvestigate the effect of scale on the transmissivity of thesingle rock fractures. A FEM code was utilized to numericallysimulate the fluid flow though the single rock fractures ofvarying size. The results showed that flow rate not onlyincreases on increasing the sample size, but also significantlyincreases in the direction perpendicular to the shearing, dueto the anisotropic roughness of the fractures. <b>Key words:</b>Anisotropy, Aperture, Asperity degradation,Contact area, Finite Element Method (FEM), Flow analysis,Fractals, Fracture morphology, Heterogeneity,Stress-deformation, Surface roughness, Roughness-Length method,Scale dependency, Stationarity, Transmissivity, 3D laserscanner.