A true triaxial cell for testing cylindrical rock specimens

Abstract

In this paper a new true triaxial cell, capable of routine testing of cylindrical rock core plugs under realistic 3-D polyaxial stress states, has been conceived by the author, the design of which is outlined. The cell presents the opportunity to develop enhanced realism when testing cylindrical rock specimens. The cell effectively enables an existing compression machine to be converted into a true triaxial machine for the testing of core. The stress state generated by the cell has been shown to significantly influence microcrack development, macroscopic shear failure and permeability.