Real-Time Experimental Monitoring for Water Absorption Evolution Behaviors of Sandstone in Mogao Grottoes, China

Abstract

Rock mass has typical pore structure, and the induced coupling effects of fluid and solid matrix appear in the disaster evolution process of deep energy exploitation and overground rock hydration. As a representative case, influenced by the water absorption environment, the surrounding rock and murals of Mogao Grottoes produce hydration diseases, which may be related to unclear interaction mechanisms between the surrounding rock and water. In this study, the self-developed physical experimental system for real-time experimental monitoring was applied to test the water absorption evolution behaviors of sandstone. The experimental results showed that the water evaporation of the rock sample during the process of water absorption could be measured through this well-designed physical experimental system, and the actual water absorption of the rock sample is the difference between the decrease of water in the water storage bucket, measured by the balance and the water evaporation in the process of experiment; by drawing the actual water absorption curve of the rock sample, the time when the water absorption of the rock sample reaches saturation could be determined accurately; and the curve of water absorption with time could be expressed as an exponential function. The experimental techniques and methods in this study provide a feasible research idea for studying the water absorption evolution behaviors and mechanisms of the surrounding rock weathering when it meets water, and have significance for revealing the disease mechanisms of the surrounding sandstone in Mogao Grottoes, China.