Mechanical Properties and Binary-Medium-Based Constitutive Model for Coral-Reef Limestone Samples Subjected to Uniaxial Loading

Abstract

The mechanical and deformation mechanism of coral-reef limestone is vital for the stability and safety of infrastructures built on the ground composed of those materials. Upon loading, strain softening behavior of the coral-reef limestone occurs, usually due to the nonuniform cementation distribution, and the cementation within the samples may break up gradually and reduce the bearing capacity. In order to study their mechanical features, uniaxial compression tests were carried out in this study, and, based on the test results, a binary-medium-based constitutive model was formulated, in which, the sample was idealized, respectively, as the bonded and frictional elements. The bonded elements are composed of strong cementation and may gradually break up to transform into the frictional elements, both of which bear the external loading conjointly. In the new model, the parameters determination method was adopted based on uniaxial compression testing, and comparisons were made between the tested and computed results, which demonstrate that the model can reflect the salient features of coral-reef limestone samples, such as the strain softening and bonding breakage during the loading process. The study can provide a basis for the basic design of coral-reef limestone.