Damage Evolution Characteristics of Non-fractured Regions during the Rock Fracture Process of Cracked Chevron Notched Brazilian Disc Specimens with Different Water Contents

Abstract

To investigate the influence of water content on crack evolution during the fracture process of the red sandstone rock material, the damage and mechanical properties of cracked chevron notched Brazilian disc red sandstone specimens, with different water contents, were experimentally investigated. Using a P-wave velocity meter, the damage information of red sandstone specimens with different water contents, in the non-fractured region, during the pure mode I and II fracture processes, was quantitatively analyzed. The experimental results show that the damage amount of the non-fractured region, during the pure mode I and II fracture processes, increases linearly with an increase in the internal water content of the red sandstone specimens. Thus, the results from this study can provide certain theoretical basis for studying the evolution mechanism of microcracks in the fracture process of CCNBD specimens with the disparate water contents.