Abstract：This paper presents an innovative digital image processing method based on a method to examine the mechanical responses of geomaterials by taking into account the actual material inhomogeneity. The proposed method incorporates the digital image processing procedures，geometry vectorization algorithms and automatic finite element mesh generation techniques into the conventional finite element methods. Using a granitic rock as an example, the paper illustrates the innovative numerical method for mechanical analyses of rock materials. Numerical results presented in the paper show that this method can be used to calculate the mechanical responses of inhomogeneous geomaterials with high efficiency and accuracy.
