Anisotropic hardening of an initially isotropic porous limestone

Abstract

Anisotropic Hardening of an Initially Isotropic Porous Limestone The work reported in this paper represents an attempt to explain the plastic behavior of a material such as porous rock that compacts or shows a volume decrease as it undergoes plastic deformation, and exhibits a yield strength dependence upon the hydrostatic pressure. Specifically, experimental results are reported for true-triaxial tests conducted on a porous limestone with the objectives of determining the yield surface in stress space, the flow rule, and induced anisotropy. The initial yield surface is obtained by compression tests, extension tests and a hydrostatic stress test. Permanent deformation occurs under a hydrostatic stress for the dry, porous limestone used in these tests, thus the initial yield surface forms a closed surface in stress space. The concept of normality of the strain increment vector with respect to the yield surface is investigated by using different loading paths in stress space. From these different paths of loading the normality principle can be verified. Furthermore, it is found that work hardening along one axis produces changes of the yield stress along the other axes so that a sample was initially isotropic becomes anisotropic as a result of the work hardening.