Investigating the Effect of Cyclic Loading on the Indirect Tensile Strength of Rocks

This paper presents the results of laboratory experiments during the investigation of the stress–strain characteristics of Brisbane tuff disc specimens under diametral compressive cyclic loading. Two different cyclic loading methods were used: namely, sinusoidal cyclic loading and cyclic loading with increasing mean level. The first method applied the S–N curve approach to the indirect tensile strength (ITS) of rock specimens for the first time in the literature, and the second method investigated the effect of increasing cyclic loading on the ITS of rock specimens. The ITS of Brisbane tuff disc specimens was measured using the Brazilian tensile strength test. The reduction in ITS was found to be 33% with sinusoidal loading tests, whereas increasing cyclic loading caused a maximum reduction of 37%. It is believed that the fracturing under cyclic loading starts at contact points between strong grains and weak matrices, and that contact points at grain boundaries are the regions of stress concentration (i.e., indenters). Transgranular cracks emanate from these regions and intergranular cracks sometimes pass through the contact points. Once cracking begins, there is a steady progression of damage and a general ‘loosening’ of the rock, which is a precursor to the formation of intergranular cracks.     

Measurement of Indirect Tensile Strength of Anisotropic Rocks by the Ring Test

Summary This paper presents a new approach, combined with the Boundary Element Method (BEM) analysis and the diametrical compression on a thin disc with a small central hole, referred to as the ring test, for determining the indirect tensile strength of anisotropic rocks. The stress distribution around the hole can be successfully obtained by the proposed single-domain BEM. The complex variable function method was used for conveniently computing the tractions and displacements of a two-dimensional anisotropic body. If we assume that the tensile strength is given by the maximum absolute value of stress in the direction perpendicular to the loaded diameter at the intersection of loaded diameter and the hole, then from the failure load recorded by laboratory testing of ring (disc), the indirect tensile strength of rocks could be obtained. A marble from Hualien (Taiwan) with clearly black-white foliation, which was assumed to be transversely isotropic, was selected to conduct both ring tests and Brazilian tests for evaluating the tensile strength. The variation of the marble tensile strength with the inclination angle of foliation and with the hole size was also investigated. In general, the tensile strength of anisotropic rocks determined by ring test is not a constant, but depends on the elastic properties of rocks, the angle between the planes of rock anisotropy and the loading direction, the diameter of the central hole, and the contact condition of loading.     

On the Measurement of the Tensile Strength of Soft Rocks

Summary. This paper reports on a comparative study of various types of experimental tests for measuring the tensile strength of rocks and rock-like materials. A critical assessment is presented of some widely used laboratory techniques on the basis of experimental data from the literature and from the laboratory investigation performed in this study.Tests were carried out using a triaxial apparatus recently set up at Milan University of Technology. This was designed to reduce random misalignments between specimen and loading frame, which are typical of conventional triaxial cells with external tie bars. The apparatus was then modified to perform various types of tests for determining the tensile strength of materials. An artificial building stone and a natural calcarenite of the Gravina di Puglia geological formation, sampled at Montescaglioso (Matera-Italy) were tested in this research. The experimental investigation included various types of tests, namely the uni-axial, the Brazilian, the ring, the three and four points bending and the Luong test. Specimens of both materials were also compressed to failure in unconfined conditions and loaded cyclically in unconfined tension and compression, Young’s moduli being measured by means of local instrumentation.     

Evaluation of Indirect Tensile Strength of Track Ballast Using Weibull Statistics

Iraq is planning to expand and rehabilitate its current railway network, thus demanding huge amounts of proper ballast material. There are three common quarries in Iraq, Sinjaar in the northern sector, Al-Qaim in western desert and Najaf-sea in the middle and southern parts of Iraq. The selection of proper track ballast material is of prime importance in design and construction of railway projects. The single particle-crushing test is a simple indirect tensile test that provides useful data for the selection of the material. Two types of railway ballast materials from (Najaf-sea and Al-Qaim) quarries are commonly used in the construction of railway in Iraq. The single particle-crushing test was performed for various ballast sizes, and the obtained data were analyzed using Weibull analysis. Najaf-sea crushed stones indicate higher tensile strength for all particle sizes compared to corresponding particle sizes of Al-Qaim crushed stone. In addition, an inverse linear relationship had obtained, between tensile strength and particle size with R ² (0.837 and 0.979) for Al-Qaim and Najaf-sea crushed stone, respectively, such relationships are important in evaluating the suitability of the materials in terms of the survival probability     

Numerical Studies on Chip Formation in Drag-Pick Cutting of Rocks

A two dimensional non-linear finite element simulation model has been developed using a mathematical model for progressive rock failure for understanding the mode and sequence of rock failure under a drag pick cutter. Rock cutting simulation has also been done using linear elastic modeling using local stability factor contouring. It has been observed from the simulation results that during negative rake angle cutting the chipping occurs by shear failure of the elements. Whereas, in positive rake angle cutting, some elements were observed to fail in shear and some under tension. The predicted peak cutting force using the developed models was found to be up to 25% higher than the experimental values. The effect of input parameters such as rake angle, flank wear, depth of cut and rock properties on the predicted peak cutting force has been studied, verified from earlier experimental studies and compared with some earlier proposed theories on rock cutting. The elastic stress analysis model based on the stability factor contouring method has also been found to be an effective tool to bracket the expected peak cutting force for a given operational and rock parameters but failed to simulate the effect of pick geometry (rake angle) correctly. The non-linear simulation model using progressive rock element failure is superior to elastic linear stress analysis model by simulating the correct trends for all the rock and machining parameters.     

Prediction of Uniaxial Compressive Strength,Tensile Strength and Porosity of Sedimentary Rocks Using Sound Level Produced During Rotary Drilling

The main purpose of the study is to develop a general prediction model and to investigate the relationships between sound level produced during drilling and physical properties such as uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strength and percentage porosity of sedimentary rocks. The results were evaluated using the multiple regression analysis taking into account the interaction effects of various predictor variables. Predictor variables selected for the multiple regression model are drill bit diameter, drill bit speed, penetration rate and equivalent sound level produced during rotary drilling (L _eq). The constructed models were checked using various prediction performance indices. Consequently, it is possible to say that the constructed models can be used for practical purposes.     

冻土抗拉强度与冻温及含水率关系的试验研究

通过用CBR-l型承载比试验仪实测不同冻结温度和不同含水率下冻土的强度,建立了抗拉强度与冻结温度和含水率关系的数学模型,并进行了科学的分析,找出之间变化的规律：含水率在14％-25％且一定时,温度在0℃— -20℃内抗拉强度随着冻结温度的降低而逐渐增加,在-20℃达到抗拉强度最大值;而冻结温度在-20℃以下,抗拉强度随...     

Experimental Studies on Permeability of Intact and Singly Jointed Meta-Sedimentary Rocks Under Confining Pressure

Three different types of permeability tests were conducted on 23 intact and singly jointed rock specimens, which were cored from rock blocks collected from a rock cavern under construction in Singapore. The studied rock types belong to inter-bedded meta-sandstone and meta-siltstone with very low porosity and high uniaxial compressive strength. The transient pulse water flow method was employed to measure the permeability of intact meta-sandstone under a confining pressure up to 30 MPa. It showed that the magnitude order of meta-sandstone’s intrinsic permeability is about 10^?18 m². The steady-state gas flow method was used to measure the permeability of both intact meta-siltstone and meta-sandstone in a triaxial cell under different confining pressures spanning from 2.5 to 10 MPa. The measured permeability of both rock types ranged from 10^?21 to 10^?20 m². The influence of a single natural joint on the permeability of both rock types was studied by using the steady-state water flow method under different confining pressures spanning from 1.25 to 5.0 MPa, including loading and unloading phases. The measured permeability of both jointed rocks ranged from 10^?13 to 10^?11 m², where the permeability of jointed meta-siltstone was usually slightly lower than that of jointed meta-sandstone. The permeability of jointed rocks decreases with increasing confining pressure, which can be well fitted by an empirical power law relationship between the permeability and confining pressure or effective pressure. The permeability of partly open cracked specimens is lower than that of open cracked specimens, but it is higher than that of the specimen with a dominant vein for the meta-sandstone under the same confining pressure. The permeability of open cracked rock specimens will partially recover during the unloading confining pressure process. The equivalent crack (joint) aperture is as narrow as a magnitude order of 10^?6 m (1 μm) in the rock specimens under confining pressures spanning from 1.25 to 5.0 MPa, which represent the typical ground stress conditions in the cavern. The in situ hydraulic conductivity measurements conducted in six boreholes by the injection test showed that the in situ permeability of rock mass varies between 10^?18 and 10^?11 m². The lower bound of the in situ permeability is larger than that of the present laboratory-tested intact rock specimens, while the upper bound of the in situ permeability is less than that of the present laboratory-tested jointed rock specimens. The in situ permeability test results were thus compatible with our present laboratory permeability results of both intact and jointed rock specimens.     

人工冻土单轴抗拉,抗压强度的试验研究

简述了国内外冻土单轴抗拉、抗压强度的试验方法，分别在３个不同温度下（－７℃、－１２℃、－１７℃）进行了单轴抗拉、抗压强度测定。试验表明，采用劈裂法测定冻上抗拉强度是可行的。试验的结论对冻土工程的设计与施工有一定参考作用。     

An Experimental Study of the Rate Dependence of Tensile Strength Softening of Longyou Sandstone

It is well-known that the strengths of sandstones measured under fully saturated conditions are smaller than those measured under nominally dry conditions. This strength softening phenomenon has profound implications to rock engineering. In this work we investigate the tensile strength softening of Longyou sandstone from China. Defining the strength softening factor as the ratio of the strength under nominally dry conditions over that under saturated conditions, the static compressive strength softening factor of Longyou sandstone is close to 2 and the static tensile strength softening factor is about 7.9. To further address the applications, where the load may be dynamic, we examine the rate dependence of the tensile strength softening of this sandstone. The dynamic tensile strength is measured using the split Hopkinson pressure bar system in combination with the Brazilian disc sample geometry. The results show that the tensile strength softening factor decreases with the loading rate. Because the saturated sample shows stronger loading rate sensitivity than the dry sample, the softening factor decreases with the loading rate.