Strength Of Sandstone Research Articles

Crack evolution and fractal characteristics of fractured red sandstone based on acoustic emission parameters

Rock is a widely used engineering material, and accurate understanding of its internal microcrack evolution process during loading can provide a theoretical basis for preventing instability and failure in rock engineering. The rock pressure test system and acoustic emission equipment were used to carry out uniaxial loading and acoustic emission monitoring tests on fractured red sandstone. Based on the RA and AF values of acoustic emission and the fractal theory, the internal crack patterns and evolution rules of red sandstone with different crack angles were explored. The results show that the compressive strength of red sandstone varies with the crack Angle in the shape of “U”, and there is an obvious stress drop after the elastic stage of 30° and 45° crack red sandstone, which has a good correspondence with the acoustic emission ringing count rate. During the loading process, the damage mainly caused by tension cracks first appears inside the rock, and then the tension cracks increase steadily and the shear cracks gradually increase, indicating that the rock enters the stage of fracture instability development. With the development of shear cracks, the peak strength is finally reached and the instability failure occurs. During the loading process of 30° fracture red sandstone, the corresponding stress drop phenomenon of “shear crack group” appears. According to the D/S statistical analysis of different crack samples based on acoustic emission ringing count, the fractal dimension presents a decreasing-rising-decreasing trend with the increase of crack inclination, which corresponds to the change of the complexity of crack development in rock.

Rock failure deformation characteristics and mechanical parameter prediction of Xujiahe formation gas reservoir in Tianfu area, Sichuan Basin

The integrated geological-engineering reservoir reconstruction of Xujiahe Formation in Tianfu area needs accurate evaluation of rock mechanics characteristics and prediction of three-dimensional rock mechanics parameter field. The stress-strain curve characteristics, failure deformation mode, mechanical strength, and confining pressure effect are analyzed by mechanical tests. The longitudinal, lateral, and spatial distribution characteristics of rock mechanics parameters are evaluated through the combination of logging and seismic. The results show that damage morphology of mudstone is more complex than that of sandstone. With the increase of confining pressure, rock fracture pattern gradually changes from splitting failure to high angle shear failure. The mechanical strength of sandstone and mudstone increases with the increase of confining pressure, and high porosity of sandstone results in a higher confining pressure effect. The longitudinal distribution of rock mechanics parameters is significantly affected by lithology. Sandstone has high strength and little intra-layer difference, while mudstone is the opposite. The lateral distribution shows obvious sedimentary facies control characteristics, and the mechanical strength of rock in the northwest region is significantly lower than that in the southeast region. The spatial distribution is greatly affected by structural morphology and faults. The research will provide support for engineering dessert selection and fracturing reconstruction.

Failure behaviour of various rocks coated new thin spray-on liner with different curing time under uniaxial compression: Insights from AE and DIC

Thin spray-on liners (TSL) is increasingly popular in underground mine support operations. In this study, a new type of TSL material is proposed, and its macro-micro physical and mechanical properties are characterized. A systematic investigation on the deformability behaviour of six rocks (i.e., coal rock, soft red sandstone, marble, hard sandstone, granite, and limestone) covered TSL materials with different curing ages (i.e., 0-day, 3-day, 7-day, 14-day, 21-day, and 28-day) under uniaxial compression circumstance is performed using acoustic emission (AE) and digital image correlation (DIC) methods. The results show that TSL improves the peak strain of each rock sample, except hard sandstone. The impact of TSL on the peak compressive strength of coal rock, soft red sandstone, and marble is nearly negligible, while it diminishes the strength of hard sandstone, granite, and limestone. As the TSL ages, the peak strength and elastic modulus of limestone initially increase and then decrease, reaching the minimum at 14-day of age, with values 89.81 MPa and 23.13 GPa respectively. However, for other rock samples, the effect of TSL age is not significant. The AE signal produced inside the rock diminishes during the elastic-plastic stage, while the ratio of shear cracks increases upon failure of each rock specimen. The macroscopic failure modes of coal rock and limestone exhibit prominent axial splitting characteristics, whereas marble and hard sandstone undergo mixed failure processes involving shear, tension, and shear-tension. The test data highly correspond to the macroscopic fracture characteristics. The research findings can serve as guidance for TSL support in both soft and hard rock scenarios.

Fatigue mechanical properties and Kaiser effect characteristics of the saturated weakly cemented sandstone under different loading rate conditions

Weakly cemented sandstone (WCS) is a unique rock type widely distributed on the surface. Environmental factors such as groundwater and stress variations easily influence its fatigue mechanical properties and fracture characteristics. To design and evaluate the long-term stability of surrounding rock support in tunnel excavation and underground resource mining projects, investigating the fatigue mechanical properties and acoustic emission (AE) response characteristics of saturated WCS under different loading rates is of great practical and theoretical significance. This study employed experimental techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and natural water absorption tests to investigate the mineral composition, pore size, and connectivity characteristics of WCS. The multi-level cyclic loading-unloading tests (MCLU) combined with the AE system were conducted on dry and saturated WCS specimens at different loading rates. The results reveal that the deformation modulus of these specimens initially increases and then decreases under cyclic loading conditions. Water significantly influences the fatigue strength and deformation resistance of sandstone. As the loading rate increases, the range of RA values broadens, accompanied by a marked increase in the number of AE signals with high RA values. Saturated sandstone specimens are more prone to developing macroscopic shear fracture surfaces. Water has a more substantial effect on the stress distribution ranges corresponding to the response of the Kaiser effect in WCS than loading rates. The capacity of the Kaiser effect to indicate the extent of rock damage is intricately linked to the progression of internal micro-cracks. When internal damage surpasses the critical value of the Kaiser effect memory damage, the accelerated propagation of shear cracks becomes pivotal in the internal damage of the sandstone. It seems that the presence of water within the interior of the rock may facilitate the dissolution of K-feldspar in WCS, which could result in the formation of kaolinite, which will be further transformed into illite. The hydration expansion of illite may further exacerbate the deterioration effect of the mechanical properties of WCS.

Study on fatigue characteristics of red sandstone under extremely high stress in the hydro-chemical environment

To study the failure of red sandstone under extremely high stress during the service life of tunnels, an in-depth study was conducted on the mechanical properties of red sandstone under uniaxial loading and cyclic loading and unloading processes at different pH values using the AG-250kNIS electronic precision material testing machine and MTS815 mechanical testing machine. The results show that as the acidity and alkalinity increase, the peak stress under uniaxial loading decreases and the axial strain increases,The peak stress at failure is 9.40, 12.37, 7.18, and 5.36 MPa, respectively, accounting for 74.19%, 68.91%, 40.38%, and 36.21% of the uniaxial compressive strength; The number of cycles significantly decreases during cyclic loading and unloading fatigue failure, and the stress required for sandstone failure gradually decreases. The peak strength and elastic modulus of sandstone show a decreasing trend, indicating that the hydrochemical environment plays an accelerating role in rock degradation. During the cyclic loading and unloading process of sandstone, there is a continuous increase in dissipated energy and finally a sudden increase, the Ud/U and Ue/U ratios at the peak point of sandstone in the natural state are 0.399 and 0.601, respectively, while the overall elastic energy shows an increasing trend; and a damage evolution model was established based on dissipative energy, which can better describe the degradation process of red sandstone.

Experimental and simulation studies on damage characteristics, crack development patterns, and strength reduction mechanisms of sandstone under laser irradiation

In order to explore the damage characteristics and crack development laws of hard rock under laser irradiation, laser irradiation experiments on sandstone were conducted considering the interaction of three laser parameters: spot diameter, laser power, and irradiation time. Subsequently, uniaxial compression experiments were conducted on sandstone samples before and after laser irradiation. In addition, based on the maximum principal stress intensity criterion and finite element software, laser induced fracturing sandstone simulation experiments were conducted. Research has found that: Laser irradiation significantly reduces the uniaxial compressive strength of sandstone, with a maximum reduction of about 88.9%, and is also accompanied by a significant decrease in elastic modulus. The degree of sandstone damage escalates with increasing laser power and irradiation time, alongside a reduction in spot diameter. Strong correlations were observed between the strength reduction rate and crack metrics like opening, area, and depth, enabling the establishment of a high-precision regression model. Cracks originate internally within sandstone, initially extending diagonally upwards toward the specimen’s surface before propagating outward. These findings elucidate the mechanisms behind sandstone’s strength reduction and crack propagation under laser irradiation, providing some insights for the practical application of laser rock breaking technology in engineering.

Strength characteristics of different stress spaces of red sandstone under loading and unloading tests

Red sandstone tests were conducted on the rock mechanics test system to clarify the strength and failure characteristics of red sandstone under triaxial loading and different unloading confining pressure rates. Strength change rules of the red sandstone in various stress spaces were analyzed. Results show that a large initial confining pressure indicates a long yield section and large axial strain. A small unloading confining pressure rate indicates a long yield section and large axial strain at failure under the identical initial confining pressure. The confining pressure reduction increases with the unloading confining pressure rate increasing when the red sandstone fails. The stress path of unloading confining pressure weakens the red sandstone cohesion and strengthens its internal friction angle. The general octahedral shear stress formula for judging whether the red sandstone fails under loading and different unloading rates was acquired on the basis of the octahedral shear stress characteristics of the red sandstone. In addition, a 3D empirical criterion for evaluating the red sandstone strength was constructed through the deviator plane function of Eekelen and the strength envelope curve on the meridian plane. A great initial confining pressure indicates serious internal damage of the red sandstone at failure under the identical unloading rate of confining pressure. A low unloading rate of confining pressure indicates internal serious damage of the red sandstone at failure when the initial confining pressure is the same. The analysis of macroscopic failure characteristics revealed that the stress path significantly influences the failure mechanism of the red sandstone. The results are instructive for determining the stability of underground engineering of the red sandstone.

Experimental Study on Long-Term Strength and Creep Characteristics of Sandstone Under Different Water Content and Confining Pressure

Experimental Study on Long-Term Strength and Creep Characteristics of Sandstone Under Different Water Content and Confining Pressure

Experimental study on the influence of different sampling methods on the stress-strain and strength characteristics of weathered and water rich sandstone

Abstract In order to explore the physical and mechanical properties of layered weathered sandstone in a water rich environment, the authors obtained layered sandstone from the tunnel excavation section. Firstly, the physical properties and chemical composition were tested, and then uniaxial tests were conducted on sandstone, in which the loading direction was divided into perpendicular to the specimen bedding, parallel to the specimen bedding, and at a 45 ° angle to the specimen bedding. The uniaxial test results show that the stress-strain curve of sandstone is strain softening type. The uniaxial compressive strength of sandstone is between 2.18 MPa and 28.123 MPa, the residual strength is between 0.122 MPa and 24.284 MPa, the elastic modulus is between 5.843 MPa and 49.45 MPa, the Poisson’s ratio is between 0.303 and 0.484, and the softening coefficient of rock is between 0.15 and 0.20. The uniaxial compressive strength of sandstone samples subjected to blasting disturbance is 38% of that without blasting disturbance, and the elastic modulus is 30% of that without blasting disturbance. The axial and radial strains of sandstone samples significantly increased after blasting disturbance. Blasting significantly reduces the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of the sample. The uniaxial strength of sandstone decreases exponentially with increasing water content.

Microwave irradiation-induced deterioration of rock mechanical properties and implications for mechanized hard rock excavation

In this study, a novel microwave-water cooling-assisted mechanical rock breakage method was proposed to address the issues of severe tool wear at elevated temperatures, poor rock microwave absorption, and excessive microwave energy consumption. The investigation object was sandstone, which was irradiated at 4 kW microwave power for 60 s, 180 s, 300 s, and 420 s, followed by air and water cooling. Subsequently, uniaxial compression, Brazilian tension, and fracture tests were conducted. The evolution of damage in sandstone was measured using active and passive nondestructive acoustic detection methods. The roughness of the fracture surfaces of the specimens was quantified using the box-counting method. The damage mechanisms of microwave heating and water cooling on sandstone were discussed from both macroscopic and microscopic perspectives. The experimental results demonstrated that as the duration of the microwave irradiation increased, the P-wave velocity, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), elastic modulus (E), tensile strength, and fracture toughness of sandstone exhibited various degrees of weakness and were further weakened by water cooling. Furthermore, an increase in the microwave irradiation duration enhanced the damaging effect of water cooling. The P-wave velocity of the sandstone was proportional to the mechanical parameters. Microwave heating and water cooling weakened the brittleness of the sandstone to a certain extent. The fractal dimension of the fracture surface was correlated with the duration of microwave heating, and the water-cooling treatment resulted in a rougher fracture surface. An analysis of the instantaneous cutting rate revealed that water cooling can substantially enhance the efficiency of microwave-assisted rock breakage.

Effect of loading rate on energy and acoustic emission characteristics of tensile fracture and shear fracture for red sandstone

To understand the influences of loading rates (LRs) on the energy and acoustic emission (AE) characteristics during tensile fracture and shear fracture, a series of pure mode I and pure mode II fracture tests were carried out under different LRs using the semi-circular bending (SCB) and single-notched shear-box (SNSB) sandstone specimens. The AE technique is employed to obtain the acoustic signal generated from rock fracture. Results show that: (1) The mode I fracture toughness KIC and mode II fracture toughness KIIC increase logarithmically with the increase of LRs, and the ratio of KIIC to KIC changes in the range of 2.1–2.3 at different LRs; (2) The cumulative AE energy (EAEI and EAEII) increases with LRs in a power function relationship under two loading modes, and the ratio of EUAEII and EUAEI (the released AE energy per unit fracture area) at different LRs varies from 38 to 46; (3) The cumulative input energy (ECII and ECI) increases logarithmically with the increase of LRs, and the ratio of EUII to EUI (the total released energy per unit fracture area) at different LRs ranges from 49 to 54. The LR has a significant effect on the RA-AF distribution characteristics. The quantitative analysis shows that the proportion of shear cracks increases but the proportion of tensile cracks decreases with LRs under two loading modes. Finally, the relationship between fracture toughness and tensile strength of red sandstone is discussed.

Predicting the compressive strength of tight sandstone based on the low field NMR and pseudo-triaxial compression measurements

The compressive strength is very important for petroleum and other engineering studies. However, the effect of pore size and fluid distribution on the rock’s strength is not fully understood. We developed comprehensive research to study the controlling factors of the compressive strength based on low field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements and pseudo-triaxial compression test for tight sandstones. The relationship between the compressive strength and the NMR obtained parameters are investigated completely, aiming for a better estimation of the compressive strength using the NMR data. The result shows that the rock’s strength is strongly controlled by the pore size distribution and the fluid existing state. Generally, the compressive strength is negatively correlated with the average transversal relaxation time, the movable water saturation, and the porosity, but positively correlated with the irreducible water saturation. The result reveals that the rock with larger pore radius and higher percentage of movable fluid is easier to reach the failure state. Further, the precision of the empirical model by multiple regression of the geometric mean of the relaxation time and the porosity is greatly improved compared with the model established by the brittle minerals, which is potentially to be use for geophysical prospecting when the NMR logging data is available.

An experimental study on the influence of ice saturation and sub-zero temperatures on the dynamic mechanical properties of sandstones

The influence of ice saturations on the mechanical properties of rocks in cold regions is of great significance for many engineering projects. This study adopted a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology to measure the different ice saturations of sandstone specimens accurately. The split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) was espoused to conduct dynamic compressive tests on sandstone with different ice saturations at room (26 ͦ C) and various low temperatures of 0 ͦ C, −5 ͦ C, −10 ͦ C, −20 ͦ C, −30 ͦ C and − 40 ͦ C. The findings revealed an increase in the dynamic mechanical strength's parameters, including dynamic elastic modulus (Ed) and dynamic compressive strength of sandstone with decreasing temperatures from 0 °C to −20 °C. The dynamic mechanical strength of sandstone reaches its peak value when the temperature drops from −20 ͦ C to −30 ͦ C, and a reduction in dynamic strength is evidenced when the temperature declines from −30 ͦ C. The results indicated that the dynamic mechanical strength of dry and fully saturated sandstone initially increased and then decreased when the temperature reached −40 °C, showing a clear negative trend. A reduction in temperature increases the dynamic mechanical strength of unsaturated sandstone, and the lower saturation leads to a more pronounced enhancement effect. Furthermore, the Ed and strength damage factors elucidate that varying ice saturations greatly affect the strength of sandstones with different porosities.

Impacts of geomechanical damage on waterflood-induced fracture propagation in deeply deposited tight oil reservoirs

Waterflood-induced fractures can enhance the production of deep tight oil reservoirs. However, if waterflood-induced fractures propagate fast, they connect injection wells to production wells earlier, inhibiting the production of tight oil reservoirs. In the present research, the fast propagation mechanism of waterflood-induced fractures was mainly investigated. The changes in sandstone mechanical properties by water were investigated by laboratory experiments, and the relationship of the geomechanical damage of sandstones with water saturation was quantified. Flow-geomechanics-coupled numerical simulations were performed to analyze the impacts of water flooding on stress distribution in a deeply deposited tight oil reservoir. Based on the fracture mechanics theory, the propagation length of the waterflood-induced fracture was calculated and the characteristics of waterflood-induced fracture propagation were analyzed. Experimental results revealed that water changed the mineral composition and microscopic structure of sandstones. This phenomenon decreased the Young’s modulus and tensile strength of sandstones and increased the Poisson’s ratio. The changing magnitude of these properties increased with the rise of water saturation, and the maximum changing magnitude reached 70%. The water saturation distribution became heterogeneous after waterflooding, causing a heterogeneous distribution of mechanical properties. The stress around the fracture tip and the fracture propagation length were significantly affected by these property changes. After the geomechanical damage, the fracture propagation pressure decreased by about 20%. Moreover, the initial fracture length enhanced the propagation length of the waterflood-induced fracture. These results suggest that the propagation of waterflood-induced fractures becomes more significant during waterflooding; thus, the injection pressure should be reduced to avoid fast fracture propagation.

Creep behavior of dry and saturated medium-grain sandstone and its relationship with conventional mechanical properties

With the large scale mining of coal and the increase of abandoned goafs under weakly cemented aquifer strata in Western China, it is urgent to study the time dependent mechanical properties of water sensitive aquifer strata. In this paper, creep behavior of dry and saturated medium-grain sandstone, which represent two limit states affected by water, were studied and compared. The results showed that water greatly weakens the compressive strength of medium-grained sandstone, but the difference in axial strain between dry and saturated rock samples decreases with the increase of confining pressure. The creep compression volume of rocks decreases with the increase of deviatoric stress, and only under low confining pressure does the creep volume of rocks exhibit expansion. There is an order of magnitude difference in creep strain between medium grained sandstone and other common rocks. The instantaneous elastic modulus has a negative exponential relationship with deviating stress. The creep rate has a positive exponential relationship with deviating stress. Based on Burges model with exponential damage variables, the law of the influence of confining pressure on creep model parameters has been discussed. The linear relationship between elastic modulus of medium-grained sandstone and parameters of Burgers model with damage was found. The research results are conducive to the convenient prediction of creep behavior of medium grained sandstone engineering and the long-term stability control of the surrounding rock.

Progressive damage and fracture behavior of brittle rock under multi-axial prestress constraint and cyclic impact load coupling

To explore the progressive damage and fracture mechanics characteristics of brittle rock materials under combined dynamic-static loading. Taking account of the coupling effect of the constraint states of uniaxial stress (σ1 ≥ σ2 = σ3 = 0), biaxial stress (σ1 ≥ σ2 > σ3 = 0) and true triaxial stress (σ1 ≥ σ2 ≥ σ3 ≠ 0) and impact load, the strain rate effect and prestress constraint effect of dynamic mechanical characteristics of sandstone are studied. The progressive damage evolution law of sandstone under the coupling of true triaxial stress constraint and cyclic impact load is discussed. The results show that with the increase of axial stress σ1, the dynamic compressive strength and peak strain gradually decrease, and the strain rate gradually increases, resulting in crushing failure under high strain rate. When the axial stress is fixed, the lateral stress constraint reduces the damage degree of sandstone and improves the dynamic compressive strength. With the increase of strain rate, the sample changes from slight splitting failure to inclined shear failure mode. Under the true triaxial stress constraint, the intermediate principal stress σ2 obviously enhances the dynamic compressive strength of sandstone. Under the constraints of triaxial stress, biaxial stress and uniaxial stress, the enhancement effect of dynamic compressive strength and the deformation resistance of sandstone are weakened in turn. Under the coupling of true triaxial stress constraint and high strain rate, sandstone samples show obvious progressive damage evolution effect under repeated impacts, and eventually inclined shear failure occurs, resulting in complete loss of bearing capacity.

Failure modes and mechanical properties of double-layer rock-like composite specimens with a single fissure under triaxial compression

Introduction: Geotechnical engineering disasters often result from instability failures in layered and heterogeneous fissured rock masses. However, the key mechanisms governing mechanical properties and crack propagation in these rock masses remain unclear.Methods: This study presents triaxial compression tests on double-layer rock-like specimens composed of limestone and sandstone materials, containing a single fissure, to investigate the effects of fissure angles and positions on the strength and failure modes of these double-layer specimens under varying confining pressure.Results and Discussion: The experimental results reveal that the intact composite rock approaches the strength of sandstone but is deformation-limited by limestone. Under constant confining pressure (σ3 = 5 MPa), the fissure angle affects initial crack initiation, and fissure position dictates the failure mode and extent, while increased confining pressure induces overall shear failure in the composite rock, with the failure mode being predominantly influenced by confining pressure. Concerning mechanical deformation, augmenting the fissure angle and confining pressure substantially enhances the elasticity and ductility of the composite rock. Regarding volumetric deformation, the extent of volume shrinkage in the composite rock is influenced by both fissure angle and confining pressure, while volume expansion is influenced by fissure position. Under uniaxial compression, fissured composite rock exhibits the most unstable crack propagation, resulting in early failure. Triaxial compression shows that a higher fissure angle stabilizes crack propagation while confining pressure variation affects stability only when the fissure is in limestone. When the fissure is in sandstone, crack propagation stability remains at its highest. Furthermore, an increase in fissure angle, higher confining pressure, and changes in fissure position from sandstone through the contact interface to limestone contribute to an increasing trend in the peak strength and elastic modulus of the composite rock. Fissure-induced rock degradation is primarily influenced by the fissure angle. These findings are significant for guiding engineering construction and design, providing valuable insights to geotechnical engineers, and enhancing safety in rock engineering projects.

Study on the Damage Characteristics and Internal Variable Modeling of Single-Fracture Sandstone under the Coupling Effect of Freeze–Thaw and Fatigue Load

The fractured rock mass in the western cold region is affected by freezing and thawing disasters and is prone to local damage and fracture along the fissures’ ends. The fatigue damage induced by repeated frost heave and traffic loads seriously endangers the stability of cold region roadbed. This paper selects sandstone as the research object. Firstly, 20 freeze–thaw cycles were performed on fractured sandstone samples with different inclination angles of 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°. Subsequently, triaxial compression and triaxial fatigue loading tests were conducted to explore the mechanical properties and fracture morphology evolution mechanism during the compression process of freeze–thaw fractured sandstone. Nuclear magnetic resonance technology (NMR) was used to measure the H-containing fluid inside rock pores. The microscopic damage characteristics inside the rock were analyzed from the NMR T2 relaxation spectrum signal and pore size distribution characteristics. Based on the internal variable theory of continuum mechanics, a fatigue model of freeze–thaw fractured sandstone with different inclination angles was established. The results show that sandstone strength was negatively correlated with the fracture dip angle, and the axial deformation and shear failure angle were positively correlated with the fracture dip angle. The mechanical properties of the sandstone were deteriorated by fatigue loading. When the crack angle was 90°, the fatigue failure strength of the rock sample was the lowest. The T2 spectrum distribution of the fractured sandstone mainly had three peaks and the pore size was mainly medium and small pores. There was a small leftward shift after freeze–thaw cycles and fatigue loading. The T2 spectrum area was significantly affected by fatigue loading, with the highest rate of change at a crack angle of 30°. Through the fine correspondence between the axial residual deformation and the deformation modulus, a fatigue model with different crack inclination angles was established using the axial residual deformation as the internal variable, and the rationality of the model was verified by fatigue loading tests.

Petrographic, Petrophysical, and Mechanical Characterisation of the Ultra- Tight Casa Cruz Sandstone, Moruga Formation, Southern Basin, Trinidad

Durability, compactness, and natural strength of sandstones are pivotal properties for its subsequent application as a building material. If a sandstone is tight and contains petroleum, then hydraulic fracturing is necessary to achieve commercial production. The Casa Cruz Sandstone Member, southern Trinidad, is currently being explored as a potential petroleum target and building material. This study investigates the petrographic, petrophysical, and mechanical characteristics of the Casa Cruz sandstone to understand the factors that control the quality of the sandstone and to determine the sandstone’s suitability as a natural resource. A thin-section analysis was performed to investigate the mineralogy, texture, and diagenesis of the sandstone. Permeability, porosity, density, P- and S-wave velocities, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and confined compressive strength were measured. The elastic properties (Young’s modulus, shear modulus, bulk modulus, and Poisson’s ratio) were estimated from inversion of the P- and S-wave velocities. The results show that the Casa Cruz sandstone is one of the tightest sandstone types reported in the literature with porosity of 0.7% and permeability of 4.7 x 10-22 m2 (0.47 nD). Authigenic cementation and mechanical compaction are the main diagenetic processes that jointly controlled the quality of the sandstone. The sandstone was classified as a very strong (UCS of 128 MPa) quartz-arenite and is barren of petroleum and bioclasts. Brittle failure behaviour was exhibited, accompanied by axial splitting fractures and shear fractures under unconfined and confined conditions, respectively. The Casa Cruz sandstone is suggested to be an excellent building material as its petrophysical and mechanical properties are comparable to those of commercial industry grade of Westerly granite and Naparima Hill argillite.

Material point method to simulate the evolution characteristics of loading damage in fractured sandstone

Cracks in rocks can lead to different load responses and mechanical properties. Primary and secondary cracks are altered during loading, with varying degrees of impact on the failure of underground engineering rock masses. However, the precise modeling of fracture initiation and propagation resulting in failure remains challenging, and the macroscopic evolution characteristics of cracks and stress fields have not been accurately described. In this study, a numerical simulation tool based on the material point method (MPM) and a strain softening model were used to establish a plane loading model with different cutting angles. A simulation of the damage evolution of fractured sandstone under constant-rate loading was conducted for different confining pressures and cutting angles. The results show the following. 1) A comparison of the simulation and experimental results indicates that the proposed numerical method accurately simulates the macroscopic crack generation and the complex physical processes of fractured sandstone during loading. 2) The stress concentration area originates from both ends of the crack and extends toward the edge in a diagonal direction until the crack has penetrated the rock. 3) The ranking of the cutting angle based on the sandstone strength is 0° > 90° > 60° > 30°. The cumulative dissipated energy exhibits an inflection point near the peak stress, and the increase after this point is primarily attributed to friction at the crack surface. The damage degree and dissipated energy of the rock in different stages correspond to the rock’s strength.