Temperature dependence of mechanical properties and damage evolution of hot dry rocks under rapid cooling

Understanding the differences in mechanical properties and damage characteristics of granitoid under high temperatures is crucial for exploring deep geothermal resources.This study analyzes the evolution of the acoustic emission(AE)characteristics and mechanical parameters of granodiorite and granite after heating and water cooling by uniaxial compression and variable-angle shear tests under different temperature gradients.We identify their changes in mesostructure and mineral composition with electron probe microanalysis and scanning electron microscopy.Results show that these two hot dry rocks have similar diagenetic minerals and microstructure,but show significantly different mechanical and acoustic characteristics,and even opposing evolution trends in a certain temperature range.At the temperatures ranging from 100℃to 500℃,the compressive and shear mechanical properties of granodiorite switch repeatedly between weakening and strengthening,and those of granite show a continuous weakening trend.At 600℃,both rocks exhibit a deterioration of mechanical properties.The damage mode of granite is characterized by initiating at low stress,exponential evolutionary activity,and intensified energy release.In contrast,granodiorite exhibits the characteristics of initiating at high stress,volatile evolutionary activity,and intermittent energy release,due to its more stable microstructure and fewer thermal defects compared to granite.As the temperature increases,the initiation and propagation of secondary cracks in granodiorite are suppressed to a certain extent,and the seismicity and brittleness are enhanced.The subtle differences in grain size,microscopic heterogeneity,and mineral composition of the two hot dry rocks determine the different acoustic-mechanical characteristics under heating and cooling,and the evolution trends with temperature.These findings are of great significance for the scientific and efficient construction of rock mass engineering by rationally utilizing different rock strata properties.

Investigation on mechanical properties regulation of rock-like specimens based on 3D printing and similarity quantification

3D printing is widely adopted to quickly produce rock mass models with complex structures in batches,improving the consistency and repeatability of physical modeling.It is necessary to regulate the mechanical properties of 3D-printed specimens to make them proportionally similar to natural rocks.This study investigates mechanical properties of 3D-printed rock analogues prepared by furan resin-bonded silica sand particles.The mechanical property regulation of 3D-printed specimens is realized through quantifying its similarity to sandstone,so that analogous deformation characteristics and failure mode are acquired.Considering similarity conversion,uniaxial compressive strength,cohesion and stress–strain relationship curve of 3D-printed specimen are similar to those of sandstone.In the study ranges,the strength of 3D-printed specimen is positively correlated with the additive content,negatively correlated with the sand particle size,and first increases then decreases with the increase of curing temperature.The regulation scheme with optimal similarity quantification index,that is the sand type of 70/140,additive content of 2.5‰and curing temperature of 81.6℃,is determined for preparing 3D-printed sandstone analogues and models.The effectiveness of mechanical property regulation is proved through uniaxial compression contrast tests.This study provides a reference for preparing rock-like specimens and engineering models using 3D printing technology.

Application and prospects of 3D printing in physical experiments of rock mass mechanics and engineering:materials,methodologies and models

The existence of joints or other kinds of discontinuities has a dramatic efect on the stability of rock excavations and engineering.As a result,a great challenge in rock mass mechanics testing is to prepare rock or rock-like samples with defects.In recent years,3D printing technology has become a promising tool in the feld of rock mass mechanics and engineering.This study frst reviews and discusses the research status of traditional test methods in rock mass mechanics tests of making rock samples with defects.Then,based on the comprehensive analysis of previous research,the application of 3D printing technology in rock mass mechanics is expounded from the following three aspects.The frst is the printing material.Although there are many materials for 3D printing,it has been found that 3D printing materials that can be used for rock mass mechanics research are very limited.After research,we summarize and evaluate printing material that can be used for rock mass mechanics studies.The second is the printing methodology,which mainly introduces the current application forms of 3D printing technology in rock mass mechanics.This includes printed precise casting molds and one-time printed samples.The last one is the printing model,which includes small-scale samples for mechanical tests and large-scale physical models.Then,the benefts and drawbacks of using 3D printing samples in mechanical tests and the validity of their simulation of real rock are discussed.Compared with traditional rock samples collected in nature or synthetic rock-like samples,the samples made by 3D printing technology have unique advantages,such as higher test repeatability,visualization of rock internal structure and stress distribution.There is thus great potential for the use of 3D printing in the feld of rock mass mechanics.However,3D printing materials also have shortcomings,such as insufcient material strength and accuracy at this stage.Finally,the application prospect of 3D printing technology in rock mass mechanics research is proposed.

Comparative analysis of thermodynamic and mechanical responses between underground hydrogen storage and compressed air energy storage in lined rock caverns

Underground hydrogen storage(UHS)and compressed air energy storage(CAES)are two viable largescale energy storage technologies for mitigating the intermittency of wind and solar power.Therefore,it is meaningful to compare the properties of hydrogen and air with typical thermodynamic storage processes.This study employs a multi-physical coupling model to compare the operations of CAES and UHS,integrating gas thermodynamics within caverns,thermal conduction,and mechanical deformation around rock caverns.Gas thermodynamic responses are validated using additional simulations and the field test data.Temperature and pressure variations of air and hydrogen within rock caverns exhibit similarities under both adiabatic and diabatic simulation modes.Hydrogen reaches higher temperature and pressure following gas charging stage compared to air,and the ideal gas assumption may lead to overestimation of gas temperature and pressure.Unlike steel lining of CAES,the sealing layer(fibre-reinforced plastic FRP)in UHS is prone to deformation but can effectively mitigates stress in the sealing layer.In CAES,the first principal stress on the surface of the sealing layer and concrete lining is tensile stress,whereas UHS exhibits compressive stress in the same areas.Our present research can provide references for the selection of energy storage methods.

Porosity, permeability and rock mechanics of Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation deep shale under temperature-pressure coupling in the Sichuan Basin, SW China

To investigate the porosity, permeability and rock mechanics of deep shale under temperature-pressure coupling, we selected the core samples of deep shale from the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the Weirong and Yongchuan areas of the Sichuan Basin for porosity and permeability experiments and a triaxial compression and sound wave integration experiment at the maximum temperature and pressure of 120 ℃ and 70 MPa. The results show that the microscopic porosity and permeability change and the macroscopic rock deformation are mutually constrained, both showing the trend of steep and then gentle variation. At the maximum temperature and pressure, the porosity reduces by 34%–71%, and the permeability decreases by 85%–97%. With the rising temperature and pressure, deep shale undergoes plastic deformation in which organic pores and clay mineral pores are compressed and microfractures are closed, and elastic deformation in which brittle mineral pores and rock skeleton particles are compacted. Compared with previous experiments under high confining pressure and normal temperature,the experiment under high temperature and high pressure coupling reveals the effect of high temperature on stress sensitivity of porosity and permeability. High temperature can increase the plasticity of the rock, intensify the compression of pores due to high confining pressure, and induce thermal stress between the rock skeleton particles, allowing the reopening of shale bedding or the creation of new fractures along weak planes such as bedding, which inhibits the decrease of permeability with the increase of temperature and confining pressure. Compared with the triaxial mechanical experiment at normal temperature, the triaxial compression experiment at high temperature and high pressure demonstrates that the compressive strength and peak strain of deep shale increase significantly due to the coupling of temperature and pressure. The compressive strength is up to 435 MPa and the peak strain exceeds 2%, indicating that high temperature is not conducive to fracture initiation and expansion by increasing rock plasticity. Lithofacies and mineral composition have great impacts on the porosity, permeability and rock mechanics of deep shale. Shales with different lithologies are different in the difficulty and extent of brittle failure. The stress-strain characteristics of rocks under actual geological conditions are key support to the optimization of reservoir stimulation program.

Fracture behaviors of columnar jointed rock mass using interface mechanics theorem

For a special geological structure of columnar jointed rock mass(CJRM),its mechanical properties are strongly affected by the columnar joints.To describe the fracture behaviors of CJRM using the basic theories of interface mechanics for composite materials,the interface stresses of the vertical and horizontal joints,which are the two primary joints in the CJRM under triaxial compression,are studied,and their mathematical expressions are derived based on the superposition principle.Based on the obtained interface stresses of the vertical and horizontal joints in the CJRM,the crack initiation of the joint interface in the CJRM is studied using the maximum circumferential stress theory in fracture mechanics.Moreover,based on this investigation,the fracture behaviors of CJRM are analyzed.According to the results of similar material physical model tests for the CJRM,the theoretical study is verified.Finally,the influence of the mechanical parameters of the CJRM on the joint interface stress is discussed comprehensively.

Numerical analysis on mechanical difference of sandstone under in-situ stress,pore pressure preserved environment at depth

Deep in-situ rock mechanics considers the influence of the in-situ environment on mechanical properties,differentiating it from traditional rock mechanics.To investigate the effect of in-situ stress,pore pressure preserved environment on the mechanical difference of sandstone,four tests are numerically modeled by COMSOL:conventional triaxial test,conventional pore pressure test,in-situ stress restoration and reconstruction test,and in-situ pore pressure-preserved test(not yet realized in the laboratory).The in-situ stress restoration parameter is introduced to characterize the recovery effect of in-situ stress on elastic modulus and heterogeneous distribution of sandstone at different depths.A random function and nonuniform pore pressure coefficient are employed to describe the non-uniform distribution of pore pressure in the in-situ environment.Numerical results are compared with existing experimental data to validate the models and calibrate the numerical parameters.By extracting mechanical parameters from numerical cores,the stress-strain curves of the four tests under different depths,in-situ stress and pore pressure are compared.The influence of non-uniform pore pressure coefficient and depth on the peak strength of sandstone is analyzed.The results show a strong linear relationship between the in-situ stress restoration parameter and depth,effectively characterizing the enhanced effect of stress restoration and reconstruction methods on the elastic modulus of conventional cores at different depths.The in-situ pore pressurepreserved test exhibits lower peak stress and peak strain compared to the other three tests,and sandstone subjected to non-uniform pore pressure is more prone to plastic damage and failure.Moreover,the influence of non-uniform pore pressure on peak strength gradually diminished with increasing depth.

In-situ observations of damage-fracture evolution in surrounding rock upon unloading in 2400-m-deep tunnels

The damage-fracture evolution of deep rock mass has obvious particularity,which is revealed in 2400-mdeep tunnels by field tests.The evolution of the excavation damaged zone depth is consistent with that of the fractured zone depth.The ratio of the excavation damaged zone depth to the excavation fractured zone depth is greater than 2.0 in a rock mass with both high strength and good integrity,but less than1.5 in a rock mass with lower strength or poor integrity.Zonal disintegration in a rock mass with high strength and fair integrity is more likely to occur when it contains more than two groups of primary fractures in damaged zones.Fractures develop outward in zonal disintegration but are totally different from the single-zone fracture,in which the fractures develop inward,and it is the starting position of the fractured zone when the excavation surface of the middle pilot is 7–9 m close to the pre-set borehole and it stops after the excavation surface of the baseplate is 11–14 m away.The most intense evolution occurs around 2–4 m from the pre-set borehole in the sidewall expansion stage.The research results provide a reference for the monitoring scheme and support design of CJPL-Ⅲin its future construction.

Numerical investigation of the mechanical behavior of the backfill–rock composite structure under triaxial compression

To ensure safe and economical backfill mining,the mechanical response of the backfill–rock interaction system needs to be understood.The numerical investigation of the mechanical behavior of backfill–rock composite structure(BRCS)under triaxial compression,which includes deformation,failure patterns,strength characteristics,and acoustic emission(AE)evolution,was proposed.The models used in the tests have one rough interface,two cement–iron tailings ratios(CTRs),four interface angles(IAs),and three confining pressures(CPs).Results showed that the deformation,strength characteristics,and failure patterns of BRCS under triaxial compression depend on IA,CP,and CTR.The stress–strain curves of BRCS under triaxial compression could be divided into five stages,namely,compaction,elasticity,yield,strain softening,and residual stress.The relevant AE counts have corresponding relationships with different stages.The triaxial compressive strengths of composites increase linearly with the increase of the CP.Furthermore,the CP stress strengthening effect occurs.When the IAs are45°and 60°,the failure areas of composites appear in the interface and backfill.When the IAs are 75°and 90°,the failure areas of composites appear in the backfill,interface,and rock.Moreover,the corresponding failure modes yield the combined shear failure.The research results provide the basis for further understanding of the stability of the BRCS.

Strength weakening and its micromechanism in water–rock interaction,a short review in laboratory tests

Water–rock interaction(WRI)is a topic of interest in geology and geotechnical engineering.Many geological hazards and engineering safety problems are severe under the WRI.This study focuses on the water weakening of rock strength and its infuencing factors(water content,immersion time,and wetting–drying cycles).The strength of the rock mass decreases to varying degrees with water content,immersion time,and wetting–drying cycles depending on the rock mass type and mineral composition.The corresponding acoustic emission count and intensity and infrared radiation intensity also weaken accordingly.WRI enhances the plasticity of rock mass and reduces its brittleness.Various microscopic methods for studying the pore characterization and weakening mechanism of the WRI were compared and analyzed.Various methods should be adopted to study the pore evolution of WRI comprehensively.Microscopic methods are used to study the weakening mechanism of WRI.In future work,the mechanical parameters of rocks weakened under long-term water immersion(over years)should be considered,and more attention should be paid to how the laboratory scale is applied to the engineering scale.

Deformation and failure mechanism of Yanjiao rock slope influenced by rainfall and water level fluctuation of the Xiluodu hydropower station reservoir

With the construction of the Xiluodu hydropower station on the Jinsha River,the reservoir impoundment began in 2013 and the water level fluctuates annually between 540 m and 600 m above sea level.The Yanjiao rock slope which is located on the left bank of the Jinsha River 75 km upstream of the Xiluodu dam site,began to deform in 2014.The potential failure of the slope not only threatens Yanjiao town but also affects the safe operation of the Xiluodu reservoir.This paper is to find the factors influencing the Yanjiao slope deformation through field investigation,geotechnical reconnaissance,and monitoring.Results show that the Yanjiao slope can be divided into a bank collapse area(BCA)and a strong deformation area(SDA)based on the crack distribution characteristics of the slope.The rear area of the slope has been experiencing persistent deformation with a maximum cumulative displacement(GPS monitoring point G4)of 505 mm and 399 mm in the horizontal and vertical directions,respectively.The potential failure surface of the slope is formed 36 m below the surface based on the borehole inclinometer.The bank collapses of the Yanjiao slope are directly caused by the reservoir impoundment while the deformation area of the slope is affected by the combination of the rainfall and reservoir water level fluctuation.Based on mechanism of the Yanjiao slope,prestressed anchor combined with the surface drainage and slope unloading are recommended to prevent potential deformation.

Stress release mechanism of deep bottom hole rock by ultra-high-pressure water jet slotting

To solve the problems of rock strength increase caused by high in-situ stress,the stress release method with rock slot in the bottom hole by an ultra-high-pressure water jet is proposed.The stress conditions of bottom hole rock,before and after slotting are analyzed and the stress release mechanism of slotting is clarified.The results show that the stress release by slotting is due to the coupling of three factors:the relief of horizontal stress,the stress concentration zone distancing away from the cutting face,and the increase of pore pressure caused by rock mass expansion;The stress concentration increases the effective stress of rock along the radial distance from O.6R to 1R(R is the radius of the well),and the presence of groove completely releases the stress,it also allows the stress concentration zone to be pushed away from the cutting face,while significantly lowering the value of stresses in the area the drilling bit acting,the maximum stress release efficiency can reach 80%.The effect of slotting characteristics on release efficiency is obvious when the groove location is near the borehole wall.With the increase of groove depth,the stress release efficiency is significantly increased,and the release range of effective stress is enlarged along the axial direction.Therefore,the stress release method and results of simulations in this paper have a guiding significance for best-improving rock-breaking efficiency and further understanding the technique.

INTEGRATED ANALYSIS APPROACHES TO ROCK MECHANICS PROBLEMS

In order to effectively cope with exponent increase of the complexity faced to the rock mechanics analysis problems and the large incompatibility existing between the information level required to model the rock mass and engineering and our obtainable information level at hand,the integrated approaches with intelligent characters are proposed. Many previous standard methods,such as precedent type analysis,rock classification,analytic method stress-based,basic numerical methods (BEM,FEM,DEM,hybrid),and their extended numerical methods (fully coupled) to be developed,can be selected respectively or integrated accordingly. It is alternative to develop basic/fully integrated system,and internet-based approaches. These novel methods can also be selected or integrated each other or with the standard methods to perform rock mechanics analysis. Some key techniques to develop these alternative methods are discussed. It may focus in future on developing fully integrated systems and internet-based approaches. Developing an environmental,virtual facility/space shall be firstly done for this collaborative research on internet.

Innovation and future of mining rock mechanics

The 121 mining method of longwall mining first proposed in England has been widely used around the world.This method requires excavation of two mining roadways and reservation of one coal pillar to mine one working face.Due to considerable excavation of roadway,the mining roadway is generally destroyed during coal mining.The stress concentration in the coal pillar can cause large deformation of surrounding rocks,rockbursts and other disasters,and subsequently a large volume of coal pillar resources will be wasted.To improve the coal recovery rate and reduce excavation of the mining roadway,the 111 mining method of longwall mining was proposed in the former Soviet Union based on the 121 mining method.The 111 mining method requires excavation of one mining roadway and setting one filling body to replace the coal pillar while maintaining another mining roadway to mine one working face.However,because the stress transfer structure of roadway and working face roof has not changed,the problem of stress concentration in the surrounding rocks of roadway has not been well solved.To solve the above problems,the conventional concept utilizing high-strength support to resist the mining pressure for the 121 and 111 mining methods should be updated.The idea is to utilize mining pressure and expansion characteristics of the collapsed rock mass in the goaf to automatically form roadways,avoiding roadway excavation and waste of coal pillar.Based on the basic principles of mining rock mechanics,the“equilibrium mining”theory and the“short cantilever beam”mechanical model are proposed.Key technologies,such as roof directional presplitting technology,negative Poisson’s ratio(NPR)high-prestress constant-resistance support technology,and gangue blocking support technology,are developed following the“equilibrium mining”theory.Accordingly,the 110 and N00 mining methods of an automatically formed roadway(AFR)by roof cutting and pressure releasing without pillars are proposed.The mining methods have been applied to a large number of coal mines with different overburdens,coal seam thicknesses,roof types and gases in China,realizing the integrated mode of coal mining and roadway retaining.On this basis,in view of the complex geological conditions and intelligent mining demand of coal mines,an intelligent and unmanned development direction of the“equilibrium mining”method is prospected.

Application and prospective of 3D printing in rock mechanics: A review

This review aims to discuss the application and development of three-dimensional printing(3DP) technology in the field of rock mechanics and the mechanical behaviors of 3D-printed specimens on the basis of various available printing materials.This review begins with a brief description of the concepts and principles associated with 3DP, and then systematically elaborates the five major applications of 3DP technology in the field of rock mechanics, namely, the preparation of rock(including pre-flawed rock) specimens, preparation of joints, preparation of geophysical models, reconstruction of complex rock structures, and performance of bridging experimental testing and numerical simulation.Meanwhile, the mechanical performance of 3D-printed specimens created using six different printing materials, such as polymers, resin,gypsum, sand, ceramics, and rock-like geological materials, is reviewed in detail.Subsequently, some improvements that can make these 3D-printed specimens close to natural rocks and some limitations of 3DP technology in the application of rock mechanics are discussed.Some prospects that are required to be investigated in the future are also proposed.Finally, a brief summary is presented.This review suggests that 3DP technology, especially when integrated with other advanced technologies, such as computed tomography scanning and 3D scanning, has great potential in rock mechanics field.

Advances in statistical mechanics of rock masses and its engineering applications

To efficiently link the continuum mechanics for rocks with the structural statistics of rock masses,a theoretical and methodological system called the statistical mechanics of rock masses(SMRM)was developed in the past three decades.In SMRM,equivalent continuum models of stressestrain relationship,strength and failure probability for jointed rock masses were established,which were based on the geometric probability models characterising the rock mass structure.This follows the statistical physics,the continuum mechanics,the fracture mechanics and the weakest link hypothesis.A general constitutive model and complete stressestrain models under compressive and shear conditions were also developed as the derivatives of the SMRM theory.An SMRM calculation system was then developed to provide fast and precise solutions for parameter estimations of rock masses,such as full-direction rock quality designation(RQD),elastic modulus,Coulomb compressive strength,rock mass quality rating,and Poisson’s ratio and shear strength.The constitutive equations involved in SMRM were integrated into a FLAC3D based numerical module to apply for engineering rock masses.It is also capable of analysing the complete deformation of rock masses and active reinforcement of engineering rock masses.Examples of engineering applications of SMRM were presented,including a rock mass at QBT hydropower station in northwestern China,a dam slope of Zongo II hydropower station in D.R.Congo,an open-pit mine in Dexing,China,an underground powerhouse of Jinping I hydropower station in southwestern China,and a typical circular tunnel in Lanzhou-Chongqing railway,China.These applications verified the reliability of the SMRM and demonstrated its applicability to broad engineering issues associated with jointed rock masses.

Application of artificial intelligence to rock mechanics:An overview

Different artificial intelligence(AI)methods have been applied to various aspects of rock mechanics,but the fact that none of these methods have been used as a standard implies that doubt as to their generality and validity still exists.For this,a literature review of application of AI to the field of rock mechanics is presented.Comprehensive studies of the researches published in the top journals relative to the fields of rock mechanics,computer applications in engineering,and the textbooks were conducted.The performances of the AI methods that have been used in rock mechanics applications were evaluated.The literature review shows that AI methods have successfully been used to solve various problems in the rock mechanics field and they performed better than the traditional empirical,mathematical or statistical methods.However,their practical applicability is still an issue of concern as many of the existing AI models require some level of expertise before they can be used,because they are not in the form of tractable mathematical equations.Thus some advanced AI methods are still yet to be explored.The limited availability of dataset for the AI simulations is also identified as a major problem.The solutions to the identified problems and the possible future research focus were proposed in the study subsequently.

Influence analysis of complex crack geometric parameters on mechanical properties of soft rock

Soft rocks, such as coal, are afected by sedimentary efects, and the surrounding rock mass of underground coal mines is generally soft and rich in joints and cracks. A clear and deep understanding of the relationship between crack geometric parameters and rock mechanics properties in cracked rock is greatly important to the design of engineering rock mass struc‑tures. In this study, computed tomography (CT) scanning was used to extract the internal crack network of coal specimens. Based on the crack size and dominant crack number, the parameters of crack area, volume, length, width, and angle were statistically analyzed by diferent sampling thresholds. In addition, the Pearson correlation coefcients between the crack parameters and uniaxial compression rock mechanics properties (uniaxial compressive strength UCS, elasticity modulus E) were calculated to quantitatively analyze the impact of each parameter. Furthermore, a method based on Pearson coefcients was used to grade the correlation between crack geometric parameters and rock mechanical properties to determine threshold values. The results indicated that the UCS and E of the specimens changed with the varied internal crack structures of the specimens, the crack parameters of area, volume, length and width all showed negative correlations with UCS and E, and the dominant crack played an important role both in weakening strength and stifness. The crack parameters of the angle are all positively correlated with the UCS and E. More crack statistics can signifcantly improve the correlation between the parameters of the crack angle and the rock mechanics properties, and the statistics of the geometric parameters of at least 16 cracks or the area larger than 5 mm2 are suggested for the analysis of complex cracked rock masses or physical reproduction using 3D printing. The results are validated and further analyzed with triaxial tests. The fndings of this study have important reference value for future research regarding the accurate and efcient selection of a few cracks with a signifcant infuence on the rock mechanical properties of surrounding rock mass structures in coal engineering.

Geological conditions and key rock mechanics issues in the Western Route of South-to-North Water Transfer Project

In terms of special geological conditions of the Western Route of South-to-North Water Transfer Project, the classification method for surrounding rocks is discussed by combining with the construction method of tunnel boring machine （TBM）. The classification standard of surrounding rocks is put forward on the basis of physical simulations and engineering practices. Damage, deformation and evolution of surrounding rocks induced by TBM excavation are discussed. Meanwhile, the long-term deformation mechanisms and stability of surrounding rocks are also studied. On this basis, a three-dimensional constitutive model for interbedded sandstone slate and a fiat shell-joint element-foundation system for calculating internal forces of segment lining are established. The deformation features of surrounding rocks of deep and steep interbedded sandstone slate and their influences on internal forces of segment lining are presented. Finally, the design methods of segment lining constructed in deep and steep flysch are proposed.

Mechanical and acoustic emission characteristics of anhydrite rock under freeze-thaw cycles

To study the damage mechanisms of anhydrite rock under freeze-thaw cycles, the physicalmechanical properties and the microcracking activities of anhydrite rock were investigated through mass variation, nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscope tests, and uniaxial compression combined with acoustic emission(AE) tests. Results show that with the increase of freeze-thaw processes,the mass, uniaxial compression strength, and elastic modulus of the anhydrite specimens decrease while the porosity and plasticity characteristics increase.For example, after 120 cycles, the uniaxial compression strength and elastic modulus decrease by 46.54% and 60.16%, and the porosity increase by 75%. Combined with the evolution trend of stressstrain curves and the detected events, three stages were labeled to investigate the AE characteristics in freeze-thaw weathered anhydrite rock. It is found that with the increase of freeze-thaw cycles, the proportions of AE counts in stage Ⅰ and stage Ⅱ show a decaying exponential trend. Contrarily, the proportion of AE counts in stage Ⅲ displays an exponential ascending trend. Meanwhile, as the freeze-thaw cycles increase, the low-frequency AE signals increase while the intermediate-frequency AE signals decrease. After 120 cycles, the proportion of low-frequency AE signals increases by 168.95%, and the proportion of intermediate-frequency AE signals reduces by 81.14%. It is concluded that the microtensile cracking events occupy a dominant position during the loading process. With the increase of freeze-thaw cycles, the b value of samples decreases.After 120 cycles, b value decreases by 27.2%, which means that the proportion of cracking events in rocks with small amplitude decreases. Finally, it is proposed that the freeze-thaw damage mechanism of anhydrite is also characterized by the water chemical softening effect.