title: Scaling solutions for connectivity and conductivity of continuous random networks.
abstract: Connectivity and conductivity of two-dimensional fracture networks (FNs), as an important type of continuous random networks, are examined systematically through Monte Carlo simulations under a variety of conditions, including different power law distributions of the fracture lengths and domain sizes. The simulation results are analyzed using analogies of the percolation theory for discrete random networks. With a characteristic length scale and conductivity scale introduced, we show that the connectivity and conductivity of FNs can be well described by universal scaling solutions. These solutions shed light on previous observations of scale-dependent FN behavior and provide a powerful method for quantifying effective bulk properties of continuous random networks.
authors.affiliation: Geotechnical Engineering Centre. School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia.|Research Group on Complex Processes in Geo-Systems, School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Galindo-Torres
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Complex Processes in Geo-Systems, School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Molebatsi
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Complex Processes in Geo-Systems, School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia.|Institute fur Geophysik, ETH-Zurich, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: X-Z
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Geotechnical Engineering Centre. School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia.|Research Group on Complex Processes in Geo-Systems, School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scheuermann
authors.affiliation: Geotechnical Engineering Centre. School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia.|Golder Associates, Milton, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bringemeier
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Complex Processes in Geo-Systems, School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li