Thermal shock effects on the mechanical behavior of granite exposed to dynamic loading

Abstract

Under certain extreme conditions in rock engineering works, fast change in temperature in the load-bearing rocks can happen. Known as thermal shock (TS), such process involves rapid temperature rise or drop, which causes fracturing in the rock material and thus can pose as a threat to the stability of the rock structures. To investigate the influence of thermal shock caused by fast cooling on the mechanical property of rock, laboratory tests are performed on heated granite which are cooled with different methods, with the highest cooling rate reaching 167.4 °C/min. The dynamic loading tests are performed on the heated granite specimens utilizing the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system. The test results show that the dynamic compressive strength drops with the increase in heating level or cooling rate. This pattern is explained by the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) test data that the pores inside the heated granite increase both in size and quantity as heating level or cooling rate rises. Damage patterns of the tested granite specimen fragments are analyzed based on the observation with scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the mechanisms of thermal shock in granite are also discussed.