Stress-drop effect on brittleness evaluation of rock materials

Uniaxial or triaxial compression test of cylindrical rock specimens using rock mechanics testing machine is a basic experimental method to study the strength and deformation characteristics of rock and the development process of rock fracture. Extensive literature review has been conducted on this issue;meanwhile, experimental and numerical studies have been conducted on the stress-drop effect on the brittleness of rock materials. A plastic flow factor of λ is proposed to describe the stress-drop effect. Evaluation methods of the factor λ corresponding to the four yield criteria of rock mass are proposed. Those four yield criteria are Tresca criterion, von-Mises criterion, Mohr-Coulomb criterion and Drucker-Prager criterion. For simplicity purposes, an engineering approximation approach has been proposed to evaluate the stress-drop with a non-zero strain increment. Numerical simulation results validated the effectiveness of the plastic flow factors λ as well as the engineering approximation approach. Based on the results in this study, finite element code can be programmed for brittle materials with stress-drop, which has the potential to be readily incorporated in finite element codes.

Characterization of Hydraulic Behaviours of Coarse Rock Materials in a Large Permeameter

The hydraulic behaviour of a rock material structure is a major feature for its design and safety assess- ment. Similar to all other physical problems, in order to enclose the governing equations systems and achieve a solution, the hydraulic characteristics of these materials need to be determined experimentally and implemented then into adopted thermo-dynamical models. This paper covers the process of the design, construction and operation of an experimental rig built for this specific purpose. Using the constructed large-scale permeameter, tests have been conducted. The non-linear hydraulic behaviour of various mate- rials under extreme turbulent conditions, where Reynolds number reaches unprecedented values, has not been studied before. Preliminary results are presented and discussed.

Failure evolution and disaster prediction of rock under uniaxial compression based on non-extensive statistical analysis of electric potential

Rock failure can cause serious geological disasters,and the non-extensive statistical features of electric potential(EP)are expected to provide valuable information for disaster prediction.In this paper,the uniaxial compression experiments with EP monitoring were carried out on fine sandstone,marble and granite samples under four displacement rates.The Tsallis entropy q value of EPs is used to analyze the selforganization evolution of rock failure.Then the influence of displacement rate and rock type on q value are explored by mineral structure and fracture modes.A self-organized critical prediction method with q value is proposed.The results show that the probability density function(PDF)of EPs follows the q-Gaussian distribution.The displacement rate is positively correlated with q value.With the displacement rate increasing,the fracture mode changes,the damage degree intensifies,and the microcrack network becomes denser.The influence of rock type on q value is related to the burst intensity of energy release and the crack fracture mode.The q value of EPs can be used as an effective prediction index for rock failure like b value of acoustic emission(AE).The results provide useful reference and method for the monitoring and early warning of geological disasters.

Accuracy and Precision of Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) Analysis of Trace and Major Elements in Rock Standard Reference Materials Using Fine Powder

In this work the performance of a screening analytical method for Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis in terms of accuracy and precision was evaluated through analysis of rock standard reference materials. The method allowed the division of elements into four groups taking into account the excitation energies and measurement conditions of the sample. Two standard reference materials were used and 15 sample replicates were prepared and analyzed, then statistics were applied to assess the precision and accuracy of analytical results. The obtained results show that major compounds or elements (SiO2, P2O5, K2O, CaO, Fe2O3, Ti) can be determined in fine powder sample with a deviation lower than 15%, and a relative standard deviation in the range (1 - 10)%. The deviation was found to be lower than 5% for major compounds such as K2O, and CaO, which suggest that the EDXRF is accurate in evaluating major elemental concentrations in rock samples. It was also found that the method seems to be more accurate and precise for major elements than for trace element investigation. This screening analytical method can be used for routine analysis with acceptable results, even though the method should be optimized to increase its precision and accuracy.

A modified damage and fracture phase field model considering heterogeneity for rock‐like materials

Damage and fracture are the most extensive failure modes of rock materials,which may easily induce disaster and instability of engineering structures.This study developed a nonlocal damage fracture phase field model for rocks considering the heterogeneity of rocks.The modified phase field model introduced the heterogeneity of fracture parameters and modified the governing equations.Meanwhile,the free energy was constructed by the elastic strain energy sphere‐bias decomposition and the plastic strain energy.As for the numerical implementation,the three layers finite elements method structure was used in the frame of the finite element method.The ability of the modified phase field model has been illustrated by reproducing the experiment results of rock samples with pre‐existing cracks under compression.

Experimental Study on Application of Shaped Charge to Rock Materials Cutting

The mechanic affection on the blast holewalls is simply analyzed and cracking propaga-tion caused by shaped charge is explained inthis paper. In the rock materials cutting, pri-

Mechanical properties of rock materials with related to mineralogical characteristics and grain size through experimental investigation： a comprehensive review

Mechanical properties of rock materials are related to textural characteristics. The relationships between mechanical properties and textural characteristics have been extensively investigated for differently types of rocks through experimental tests. Based on the experimental test data, single- and multiple- variant regression analyses are conducted among mechanical properties and textural characteristics. Textural characteristics of rock materials are influenced by the following factors： mineral composition, size, shape, and spatial distribution of mineral grains, porosity, and inherent microcracks. This study focuses on the first two： mineral composition and grain size. This study comprehensively summarizes the regression equations between mechanical properties and mineral content and the regression equations between mechanical properties and grain size. Further research directions are suggested at the end of this study.

Modeling hydraulic fracture in heterogeneous rock materials using permeability-based hydraulic fracture model

Hydraulic fracturing is one of the most important techniques for enhancing oil/gas production.The permeability-based hydraulic fracture(PHF)model,which is based on the smeared-crack method and considers the interaction between the pore pressure and solid phase,is adopted in the present study for a fully-coupled simulation of the hydraulic fracture in a heterogeneous rock formation.The level set method(LSM),which is used to describe the distribution of material properties of heterogeneous rocks,is coupled with the PHF model.Using the coupled PHF–LSM model,a series of finite element method(FEM)simulations are carried out to investigate the characteristics of a hydraulic fracture(e.g.,the breakdown pressure and fracture propagation)in heterogeneous rocks.Three types of heterogeneous rocks are examined:layered rock,rock with distributed inclusions,and rock with random spatial variations in the material properties.The results of the numerical simulations show that the coupled PHF–LSM model can describe the material interface without changing the FEM mesh used to discretize the physical domain.Further,the model effectively simulates hydraulic-fracturing problems for various heterogeneous rocks.

THEORETICAL MODEL OF EFFECTIVE STRESS COEFFICIENT FOR ROCK/SOIL-LIKE POROUS MATERIALS

Physical mechanisms and influencing factors on the effective stress coefficient for rock/soil-like porous materials are investigated, based on which equivalent connectivity index is proposed. The equivalent connectivity index, relying on the meso-scale structure of porous material and the property of liquid, denotes the connectivity of pores in Representative Element Area （REA）. If the conductivity of the porous material is anisotropic, the equivalent connectivity index is a second order tensor. Based on the basic theories of continuous mechanics and tensor analysis, relationship between area porosity and volumetric porosity of porous materials is deduced. Then a generalized expression, describing the relation between effective stress coefficient tensor and equivalent connectivity tensor of pores, is proposed, and the expression can be applied to isotropic media and also to anisotropic materials. Furthermore, evolution of porosity and equivalent connectivity index of the pore are studied in the strain space, and the method to determine the corresponding functions in expressions above is proposed using genetic algorithm and genetic programming. Two applications show that the results obtained by the method in this paper perfectly agree with the test data. This paper provides an important theoretical support to the coupled hydro-mechanical research.

A waveform modification method for testing dynamic properties of rock under high temperature

In this study,a waveform modification method was proposed using a self-designed heating device combined with the split Hopkinson pressure bar(SHPB)technique for determination of dynamic behaviors of rock at high temperature.Firstly,the temperature gradient distribution on the incident bar was measured according to the variation of elastic modulus of the bar with temperature,and the relationship between the longitudinal wave velocity and temperature of the bar was obtained based on onedimensional stress wave theory.The incident bar with a temperature gradient was divided into a series of microelements,and then the transmission coefficient of the whole incident bar was obtained.Finally,the stress wave was modified by the transmission coefficient from 25℃ to 600℃.This method was used to study the dynamic properties of rock at high temperature,which not only preserves a classical SHPB device,but also effectively ensures the accuracy of the experimental results.A dynamic Brazilian disc experiment was carried out to explore the influences of loading rate and temperature on dynamic tensile strength of sandstone at high temperature using the proposed waveform modification method.

Critical issues in soft rocks

This paper discusses several efforts made to study and investigate soft rocks, as well as their physico- mechanical characteristics recognized up to now, the problems in their sampling and testing, and the possibility of its reproduction through artificially made soft rocks, The problems in utilizing current and widespread classification systems to some types of weak rocks are also discussed, as well as other problems related to them. Some examples of engineering works in soft rock or in soft ground are added, with emphasis on their types of problems and solutions.

Rock parameters inversion for estimating the maximum heights of two failure zones in overburden strata of a coal seam

In order to enter effective parameters of rock mass in a numerical model,the relationships between mechanical parameters of rock and rock mass were obtained by an inversion method and an orthogonal test,given our measurements of the maximum heights of two failure zones in the Longdong coal mine. Using the maximum heights of the caving zone and the water-conducting fractured zone as test indices the modulus of elasticity,the Poisson ratio,cohesion and tension strength as test factors and different values of reduction enhancement factors as test levels,an orthogonal test was designed to obtain an optimum simulation scheme.From the analysis of different values of reduction enhancement factors which affect the test indices,an optimum factor combination for modification of parameters could be inferred.By using modified parameters in our numerical simulation,the maximum heights of the caving zone and the water-conducting fractured zone in the extensive Xiyi area were determined as 15.06 m and 36.92 m.These values were almost the same as those obtained by similar material simulation（8.5 m and 37.0 m）and empirical prediction（8.4 m and 34.4 m）.These results indicate that the modification of parameters is a rational method.

Ground reaction curves for circular excavations in non-homogeneous,axisymmetric strain-softening rock masses

Fast methods to solve the unloading problem of a cylindrical cavity or tunnel excavated in elasto-perfectly plastic, elasto-brittle or strain-softening materials under a hydrostatic stress feld can be derived based on the self-similarity of the solution. As a consequence, they only apply when the rock mass is homogeneous and so exclude many cases of practical interest. We describe a robust and fast numerical technique that solves the tunnel unloading problem and estimates the ground reaction curve for a cylindrical cavity excavated in a rock mass with properties depending on the radial coordinate, where the solution is no longer self-similar. The solution is based on a continuation-like approach(associated with the unloading and with the incremental formulation of the elasto-plastic behavior), fnite element spatial discretization and a combination of explicit sub-stepping schemes and implicit techniques to integrate the constitutive law, so as to tackle the diffculties associated with both strong strain-softening and elasto-brittle behaviors. The developed algorithm is used for two practical ground reaction curve computation applications. The frst application refers to a tunnel surrounded by an aureole of material damaged by blasting and the second to a tunnel surrounded by a ring-like zone of reinforced(rock-bolted) material.

A study of some Egyptian carbonate rocks for the building construction industry

A number of geotechnical analyses were carried out on selected carbonate rock samples from eight sites located in Egypt. This analysis was to assess the suitability of these rocks for building construction aggregate. The analyses included properties of uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strength, porosity, water absorption, and dynamic fragmentation. The success of building construction depends to a large extent on the availability of raw materials at affordable prices. Raw materials commonly used in the building industry include sands, gravels, clays and clay-derived products. Despite the widespread occurrence of carbonate rocks throughout Egypt, the low premium placed on their direct application in the building sector may be explained in two ways: firstly, the lack of awareness of the potential uses of carbonate rocks in the building construction industry(beyond the production of asbestos, ceiling boards, roof sheets and Portland cement); and secondly, the aesthetic application of carbonate rocks in the building construction depends mainly on their physical attributes, a knowledge of which is generally restricted to within the confines of research laboratories and industries. Thus this paper addresses the physical and mechanical characteristics of some Egyptian carbonate rocks, evaluating them for their suitability as building construction aggregates.

Strain field investigation of limestone specimen under uniaxial compression loads using particle image velocimetry

The particle image velocimetry (PIV) method was used to investigate the full-field displacements and strains of the limestone specimen under external loads from the video images captured during the laboratory tests.The original colorful video images and experimental data were obtained from the uniaxial compression test of a limestone.To eliminate perspective errors and lens distortion,the camera was placed normal to the rock specimen exposure.After converted into a readable format of frame images,these videos were transformed into the responding grayscale images,and the frame images were then extracted.The full-field displacement field was obtained by using the PIV technique,and interpolated in the sub-pixel locations.The displacement was measured in the plane of the image and inferred from two consecutive images.The local displacement vectors were calculated for small sub-windows of the images by means of cross-correlation.The video images were interrogated in a multi-pass way,starting off with 64×64 images,ending with 16×16 images after 6 iterations,and using 75% overlap of the sub-windows.In order to remove spurious vectors,the displacements were filtered using four filters:signal-to-noise ratio filter,peak height filter,global filter and local filter.The cubic interpolation was utilized if the displacements without a number were encountered.The full-field strain was then obtained using the local least square method from the discrete displacements.The strain change with time at different locations was also investigated.It is found that the normal strains are dependant on the locations and the crack distributions.Between 1.0 and 5.0 s prior to the specimen failure,normal strains increase rapidly at many locations,while a stable status appears at some locations.When the specimen is in a failure status,a large rotation occurs and it increases in the inverse direction.The strain concentration bands do not completely develop into the large cracks,and meso-cracks are not visible in some bands.The techniques presented here may improve the traditional measurement of the strain field,and may provide a lot of valuable information in investigating the deformation/failure mechanism of rock materials.

Tree-Based Solution Frameworks for Predicting Tunnel Boring Machine Performance Using Rock Mass and Material Properties

Tunnel Boring Machines(TBMs)are vital for tunnel and underground construction due to their high safety and efficiency.Accurately predicting TBM operational parameters based on the surrounding environment is crucial for planning schedules and managing costs.This study investigates the effectiveness of tree-based machine learning models,including Random Forest,Extremely Randomized Trees,Adaptive Boosting Machine,Gradient Boosting Machine,Extreme Gradient Boosting Machine(XGBoost),Light Gradient Boosting Machine,and CatBoost,in predicting the Penetration Rate(PR)of TBMs by considering rock mass and material characteristics.These techniques are able to provide a good relationship between input(s)and output parameters;hence,obtaining a high level of accuracy.To do that,a comprehensive database comprising various rock mass and material parameters,including Rock Mass Rating,Brazilian Tensile Strength,and Weathering Zone,was utilized for model development.The practical application of these models was assessed with a new dataset representing diverse rock mass and material properties.To evaluate model performance,ranking systems and Taylor diagrams were employed.CatBoost emerged as the most accurate model during training and testing,with R2 scores of 0.927 and 0.861,respectively.However,during validation,XGBoost demonstrated superior performance with an R2 of 0.713.Despite these variations,all tree-based models showed promising accuracy in predicting TBM performance,providing valuable insights for similar projects in the future.

DOUBLE-MEDIUM CONSTITUTIVE MODEL OF GEOLOGICAL MATERIAL IN UNIAXIAL TENSION AND COMPRESSION

Based on elasto-plasticity and damage mechanics, a double-medium constitutive model of geological material under uniaxial tension and compression was presented, on the assumption that rock and soil materials are the pore-fracture double-medium, and porous medium has no damage occurring, while fracture medium has damage occurring with load. To the implicit equation of the model, iterative method was adopted to obtain the complete stress-strain curve of the material. The result shows that many different distributions （uniform distribution, concentrated distribution and random distribution） of fractures in rock and soil material are the essential reasons of the daedal constitutive relations. By the reason that the double-medium constitutive model separates the material to be porous medium part, which is the main body of elasticity, and fracture medium part, which is the main body of damage, it is of important practical values and theoretical meanings to the study on failure of rock and soil or materials containing damage.