Cracking processes have been extensively studied in brittle rock and rock-like materials. Due to the experimental limitations and the complexity of rock texture, details of the cracking processes could not always be observed and assessed comprehensively. To contribute to this field of research, a numerical approach based on the particle element model was used in present study. It would give us insights into what is happening to crack initiation, propagation and coalescence. Parallel bond model, a type of bonded-particle model, was used to numerically simulate the cracking process in rock-like material containing a single flaw under uniaxial vertical compression. The single flaw’s inclinations varied from 0° to 75° measured from the horizontal. As the uniaxial compression load was increased, multiple new microcracks initiated in the rock, which later propagated and eventually coalesced into longer macrocracks. The inclination of the pre-existing flaw was found to have a strong influence on the crack initiation and propagation patterns. The simulations replicated most of the phenomena observed in the physical experiments, such as the type, the initiation location and the initiate angle of the first cracks, as well as the development of hair-line cracks, which later evolved to macrocracks. Analyses of the parallel bond forces and displacement fields revealed some important mechanisms of the cracking processes. The first cracks typically initiated from the tensile stress concentration regions, in which the tensile stress was partially released after their initiation. The tensile stress concentration regions subsequently shifted outwards close to the propagating tips of the first cracks. The initiation and propagation of the first cracks would not significantly influence the compressive stress singularity at the flaw tips, which was the driving force of the initiation of secondary cracks. The initiation of microcracking zone consisting almost exclusively of micro-tensile cracks, and that of microcracking zone consisting of micro-tensile cracks and mixed micro-tensile and shear cracks, were found to be correlated with two distinct types of displacement fields, namely type I (DF_I) and type II (DF_II), respectively.

Cracking Processes in Rock-Like Material Containing a Single Flaw Under Uniaxial Compression: A Numerical Study Based on Parallel Bonded-Particle Model Approach

An experimental investigation on thermal damage and failure mechanical behavior of granite after exposure to different high temperature treatments

Dynamic properties of rocks are important in a variety of rock mechanics and rock engineering problems. Due to the transient nature of the loading, dynamic tests of rock materials are very different from and much more challenging than their static counterparts. Dynamic tests are usually conducted using the split Hopkinson bar or Kolsky bar systems, which include both split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) and split Hopkinson tension bar (SHTB) systems. Significant progress has been made on the quantification of various rock dynamic properties, owing to the advances in the experimental techniques of SHPB system. This review aims to fully describe and critically assess the detailed procedures and principles of techniques for dynamic rock tests using split Hopkinson bars. The history and principles of SHPB are outlined, followed by the key loading techniques that are useful for dynamic rock tests with SHPB (i.e. pulse shaping, momentum-trap and multi-axial loading techniques). Various measurement techniques for rock tests in SHPB (i.e. X-ray micro computed tomography (CT), laser gap gauge (LGG), digital image correlation (DIC), Moire method, caustics method, photoelastic coating method, dynamic infrared thermography) are then discussed. As the main objective of the review, various dynamic measurement techniques for rocks using SHPB are described, including dynamic rock strength measurements (i.e. dynamic compression, tension, bending and shear tests), dynamic fracture measurements (i.e. dynamic imitation and propagation fracture toughness, dynamic fracture energy and fracture velocity), and dynamic techniques for studying the influences of temperature and pore water.

https://cyberleninka.org/article/n/236168.pdf

Dynamic rock tests using split Hopkinson (Kolsky) bar system – A review

Conventional triaxial compression and “reducing confining pressure” experiments were carried out for red sandstone by an MTS815 Flex Test GT rock mechanics experimental system. Our results show that the post-peak axial deformation characteristics of red sandstone changed as the confining pressure was increased from 5 to 65 MPa. Young’s modulus of red sandstone increased nonlinearly with increasing confining pressure, but Poisson’s ratio remained unaffected. Using our new data, the compactive and dilatant behavior, strength and failure characteristics of sandstone under triaxial compression are further discussed. For our data, the nonlinear Hoek-Brown criterion better reflects the peak strength properties than the linear Mohr-Coulomb criterion. However, the residual strength shows a clear linear relationship with confining pressure, which can be best described using the linear Mohr-Coulomb criterion. The peak and residual strengths were not directly related to the two different loading paths. The onset of dilatancy (C′), the switch from compaction-dominated to dilatant-dominated behavior (D′) and the stress at zero volumetric strain all increased linearly with the confining pressure. In our conventional triaxial compression experiments, the failure mode changed from mixed tension and shear fracture (single shear fracture) to shear fracture with double slippage planes with increasing confining pressure. However, the failure mode in our “reducing confining pressure” experiments was more complicated and results mainly from the unstable failure characteristics of the rock during the reduction in confining pressure. Finally, based on our acoustic emission (AE) locations, at a confining pressure of 35 MPa, a detailed analysis of the evolutionary process of internal cracks is presented for the entire loading process.

Experimental Investigation on the Strength, Deformability, Failure Behavior and Acoustic Emission Locations of Red Sandstone Under Triaxial Compression

Theoretical and experimental studies have revealed that energy dissipation and release play an important role in the deformation and failure of coal rocks. To determine the relationship between energy transformation and coal failure, the mechanical behaviors of coal specimens taken from a 600-m deep mine were investigated by conventional triaxial compression tests using five different confining pressures. Each coal specimen was scanned by microfocus computed tomography before and after testing to examine the crack patterns. Sieve analysis was used to measure the post-failure coal fragments, and a fractal model was developed for describing the size distribution of the fragments. Based on the test results, a damage evolution model of the rigidity degeneration of coal before the peak strength was also developed and used to determine the initial damage and critical damage variables. It was found that the peak strength increased with increasing confining pressure, but the critical damage variable was almost invariant. More new cracks were initiated in the coal specimens when there was no confining pressure or the pressure was too high. The parameters of failure energy ratio β and stress drop coefficient α are further proposed to describe the failure mode of coal under different confining pressures. The test results revealed that β was approximately linearly related to the fractal dimension of the coal fragments and that a higher failure energy ratio corresponded to a larger fractal dimension and more severe failure. The stress drop coefficient α decreased approximately exponentially with increasing confining pressure, and could be used to appropriately describe the evolution of the coal failure mode from brittle to ductile with increasing confining pressure. A large β and small α under a high confining pressure were noticed during the tests, which implied that the failure of the coal was a kind of pseudo-ductile failure. Brittle failure occurred when the confining pressure was unloaded—an observation that is important for the safety assessment of deep mines, where a high in situ stress might result in brittle failure of the coal seam, or sudden outburst.

Energy Dissipation and Release During Coal Failure Under Conventional Triaxial Compression

Real-time computerized tomography (CT) experiments on sandstone damage evolution during triaxial compression with chemical corrosion

Effects of water chemistry on microcracking and compressive strength of granite

High-strength steel (HSS) has the potential to reduce reinforcement congestion and construction difficulties for coupling beams. This paper aims to investigate coupling beams using HSS diagonal bars and HSS transverse reinforcement. Four coupling beam specimens with a clear span-to-depth ratio of 2.0 were built with varying concrete materials and confinement details and tested under quasi-static reversed-cyclic shear loading. Despite using the maximum transverse reinforcement spacing that is allowed in ACI 318–19, all coupling beam specimens exhibited satisfactory seismic performance in terms of adequate deformation capacity and stable hysteretic response. Favorable performance, characterized by a greater damage control ability, larger shear strength, and deformation capacity, was achieved in specimens using high-strength concrete, especially fiber-reinforced high-strength concrete. The coupling beam specimen with confinement provided for the entire beam cross section outperformed the specimen with confinement provided for the individual diagonals. The state-of-practice design methods for coupling beams are evaluated with experimental results. 

Sili Chen

Papers

Real-time computerized tomography (CT) experiments on sandstone damage evolution during triaxial compression with chemical corrosion

Effects of water chemistry on microcracking and compressive strength of granite

Behaviour and detailing of coupling beams with high-strength materials

Dissolution Behaviors of Recycled Coarse Aggregate Concrete with the Initial Stress Damage