Uniaxial Compressive Strength Research Articles

Slope Stability Analysis of Open-Pit Mine Considering Weathering Effects

Weathering processes gradually alter the physical and mechanical attributes of slope materials, weakening the structural integrity and stability of slopes. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of slope stability in an open-pit mine, emphasizing the pivotal role of weathering effects in determining slope stability. To accurately capture the impact of weathering on slope stability, a comprehensive analysis model was developed, incorporating field observations, laboratory testing, and numerical simulations. The effects of weathering on the mechanical properties of black shale were studied through extensive laboratory tests. The uniaxial compressive strength, shear strength, and modulus of elasticity significantly decreased with increasing weathering, indicating a heightened vulnerability to slope failure. The correlation function between mechanical parameters and weathering time was obtained, providing the basis for evaluating the stability of mine slopes. It was found that more severe weathering conditions were strongly correlated with elevated risks of slope failure, including landslides and collapses. Based on these findings, practical recommendations are provided for slope reinforcement and management strategies, aimed at mitigating slope failure risks and ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the mine. By incorporating weathering effects into slope stability analysis, mine operators can make informed decisions that account for the dynamic nature of slope materials and their susceptibility to weathering, thereby improving overall mine performance and safety.

Damage and energy characteristics of coal rock combinations with inclined coal seams under axial loading

A single load compression test of rock-coal-rock assemblages (RCRs) containing coal bodies with different inclinations was carried out with the research background of mining deep, large-steep coal seams. It was found that the larger the inclination angle of the coal body in the RCR samples, the larger the compaction stage of the samples and the smaller the uniaxial compressive strength value. In addition, both the maximum acoustic emission (AE) energy of the samples and the cumulative AE energy at the moment of destruction decreased with the increase of the inclination angle of the coal body in the form of exponential relativities. Also, the input energy and ultimate elastic energy of the samples at the peak stress moment decreased with increased inclination angle of the coal body. Furthermore, both of them changed with the inclination angle of the coal body in accordance with the exponential relationship; meanwhile, when the applied load exceeded the peak strength, the dissipative energy of the RCR samples increased rapidly due to the loss of load-bearing capacity. At the peak moment, the percentage of dissipated energy of the samples increased exponentially with the increase of the inclination angle of the coal body. This study has certain reference significance for the prevention and control of dynamic disasters during the mining of large angle coal seams.

Basic Mechanical Properties of Self-Compacting Concrete Prepared with Aeolian Sand and Recycled Coarse Aggregate

To protect the environment and reduce the consumption of natural resources, this study investigated the performance of self-compacting concrete (SCC) utilizing aeolian sand (AS) as a replacement for fine aggregate and recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) as a replacement for natural coarse aggregate. Twelve mixing ratios were prepared, with AS replacement ratios at 0, 20%, 40%, and 60% and RCA replacement ratios at 0, 25%, and 50%. The evaluation primarily focused on workability, uniaxial compressive strength, split tensile strength, stress–strain curve, modulus of elasticity, and axial compressive strength. The results indicated that both AS and RCA can enhance the performance of SCC at appropriate replacement ratios, and a 20% AS and 50% RCA replacement ratio significantly improved the performance of SCC. In addition, the effects of AS and RCA replacements on SCC were evaluated by several performance indexes, which provides a basis for subsequent experimental studies and demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating AS and RCA into SCC.

Failure analysis of Nehbandan granite under various stress states and strain rates using a calibrated Riedel–Hiermaier–Thoma constitutive model

This study presents a comprehensive procedure for determining, calibrating, and validating the Riedel–Hiermaier–Thoma (RHT) material model parameters for granite. The process involves collecting a comprehensive dataset of conventional mechanical tests conducted on various types of granite worldwide. Based on this dataset, one set of RHT material model parameters is determined. Additionally, a specific granite sample from Iran, known as Nehbandan granite, is characterized through physical and mechanical testing to obtain another set of parameters. The challenging task of determining the third set of parameters, which are difficult to obtain analytically and experimentally, is accomplished through a calibration process that iteratively adjusts the parameters based on comparisons between numerical simulation results and experimental data. To validate the determined parameters, a series of tests, including uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), triaxial compressive strength (TCS), Brazilian tensile strength, and dynamic Brazilian using split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) tests, are conducted on the Nehbandan granite. These tests are also simulated using LS-Dyna software, and the numerical simulation results are compared with the corresponding experimental test results. The comparison between the numerical and experimental data serves as a means of validating and verifying the accuracy and reliability of the determined RHT material model parameters for granite. The results demonstrate the successful determination and calibration of the RHT material model parameters for granite. The model exhibits effectiveness in predicting the behavior of granite under various loading conditions. The validation process confirms the accuracy and reliability of the determined parameters through a close agreement between numerical simulations and experimental data. The findings contribute to a better understanding of granite's mechanical response and provide a reliable tool for simulating and predicting its behavior in engineering applications. The validated RHT material model parameters offer a robust framework for accurate numerical simulations, enabling engineers to make informed decisions in rock engineering projects.

Elemental Design of Alkali-Activated Materials with Solid Wastes Using Machine Learning.

Understanding the strength development of alkali-activated materials (AAMs) with fly ash (FA) and granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) is crucial for designing high-performance AAMs. This study investigates the strength development mechanism of AAMs using machine learning. A total of 616 uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) data points from FA-GBFS-based AAM mixtures were collected from published literature to train four tree-based machine learning models. Among these models, Gradient Boosting Regression (GBR) demonstrated the highest prediction accuracy, with a correlation coefficient (R-value) of 0.970 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 4.110 MPa on the test dataset. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis revealed that water content is the most influential variable in strength development, followed by curing periods. The study recommends a calcium-to-silicon ratio of around 1.3, a sodium-to-aluminum ratio slightly below 1, and a silicon-to-aluminum ratio slightly above 3 for optimal AAM performance. The proposed design model was validated through laboratory experiments with FA-GBFS-based AAM mixtures, confirming the model's reliability. This research provides novel insights into the strength development mechanism of AAMs and offers a practical guide for elemental design, potentially leading to more sustainable construction materials.

Effects of Different Cooling Treatments on Heated Granite: Insights from the Physical and Mechanical Characteristics.

The exploration of Hot Dry Rock (HDR) geothermal energy is essential to fulfill the energy demands of the increasing population. Investigating the physical and mechanical properties of heated rock under different cooling methods has significant implications for the exploitation of HDR. In this study, ultrasonic testing, uniaxial strength compression experiments, Brazilian splitting tests, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were conducted on heated granite after different cooling methods, including cooling in air, cooling in water, cooling in liquid nitrogen, and cycle cooling in liquid nitrogen. The results demonstrated that the density, P-wave velocity (Vp), uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), tensile strength (σt), and elastic modulus (E) of heated granite tend to decrease as the cooling rate increases. Notably, heated granite subjected to cyclic liquid nitrogen cooling exhibits a more pronounced decline in physical and mechanical properties and a higher degree of damage. Furthermore, the cooling treatments also lead to an increase in rock pore size and porosity. At a faster cooling rate, the fracture surfaces of the granite transition from smooth to rough, suggesting enhanced fracture propagation and complexity. These findings provide critical theoretical insights into optimizing stimulation performance strategies for HDR exploitation.

Assessment of carbonate rocks for engineering applications considering mineralogical, geochemical and geotechnical attributes

Due to continuous need of materials for infrastructural development, geomaterials of different origins are used where available. Vast majority of these materials in some countries are predominantly metamorphic and sedimentary in nature. Many of these rocks are of carbonate origin and they are encountered by practitioners worldwide. Therefore, it is very crucial to evaluate the prospect of using carbonate rocks for different applications. In this paper, laboratory tests were conducted on soft and hard carbonate rocks in order to assess their usefulness taking into consideration the mineralogy, geochemistry and geotechnics. The mineralogy is majorly calcite, the fabric is characterized by aggregation of particles to form clusters and the chemical composition is predominantly calcium oxide. The hard carbonate rocks have low porosity, medium dynamic fragmentation, medium to low water absorption, slightly strong rebound hardness value, high uniaxial compressive strength and soft carbonate rocks have low in situ specific volume and compressibility. The carbonate rocks are suitable for cement production. The hard carbonate rocks can be used for infrastructure purposes. The soft carbonate rocks are suitable for use as foundation fill materials and suitable for use as sub-grade materials. However, practitioners must be cautious when using this material as sub-base materials.

Utilization of Tunnel Waste Slag for Cement-Stabilized Base Layers in Highway Engineering.

The rapid expansion of highway infrastructure in the mountainous regions of China has led to a significant increase in tunnel construction, generating substantial amounts of tunnel waste slag. Concurrently, the development of transportation infrastructure has created a critical shortage of natural aggregates, necessitating the exploration of alternative sustainable sources. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the physical and mechanical properties of tunnel waste slag and explore its potential for utilization in cement-stabilized base courses for highway engineering applications. The uniaxial compressive strength of the parent rock (tunnel waste slag) ranged from 81 MPa to 89 MPa in the desiccated state, indicating its suitability for use as a construction material. This study also determined the maximum dry density (2.432 g/cm3) and optimal moisture content (5.4%) of cement-stabilized mixtures incorporating recycled aggregates derived from tunnel waste slag. The splitting tensile strength of these mixtures at 28 days varied from 0.48 MPa to 0.73 MPa, demonstrating robust mechanical performance. Moreover, the unconfined compressive strength of these mixtures escalated from 7.0 MPa at 7 days to 11.0 MPa at 90 days, signifying a substantial enhancement in strength over time. These results validate the viability of utilizing tunnel waste slag in highway engineering and furnish valuable insights for designers, concrete manufacturers, and construction firms engaged in the development of cement-stabilized aggregate base courses.

Failure mechanism of a tunnel in a soil–rock mixture based on a new combined finite–discrete element method

The mechanical properties and failure characteristics of soil–rock mixtures (SRMs) directly affect the stability of tunnels constructed in SRMs. A new SRM modelling method based on the combined finite–discrete element method (FDEM) was proposed. Using this new SRM modelling method based on the FDEM, the mechanical characteristics and failure behaviour of SRM samples under uniaxial compression, as well as the failure mechanism of SRMs around a tunnel, were further investigated. The study results support the following findings: (1) The modelling of SRM samples can be achieved using a heterogeneous rock modelling method based on the Weibull distribution. By adjusting the relevant parameters, such as the soil–rock boundaries, element sizes and modelling control points, SRM models with different rock contents and morphologies can be obtained. (2) The simulation results of uniaxial compression tests of SRM samples with different element sizes and morphologies validate the reliability and robustness of the new modelling method. In addition, with increasing rock content, VBP (volumetric block proportion), the uniaxial compressive strength and Young’s modulus increase exponentially, but the samples all undergo single shear failure within the soil or along the soil–rock interfaces, and the shear failure angles are all close to the theoretical values. (3) Tunnels in SRMs with different rock contents all exhibit X-shaped conjugate shear failure, but the fracture network propagation depth, the maximum displacement around the tunnel, and the failure degree of the tunnel in the SRM roughly decreases via a power function as the rock content increases. In addition, as the rock content increases, such as when VBP = 40%, large rocks have a significant blocking effect on fracture propagation, resulting in an asymmetric fracture network around the tunnel. (4) The comparisons of uniaxial compression and tunnel excavation simulation results with previous theoretical results, laboratory test results, and numerical simulation results verify the correctness of the new modelling method proposed in this paper.

Feasibility of biochar for low-emission soft clay stabilization using CO2 curing

Use of traditional lime-cement binders on stabilizing soft sensitive clays pose a significant challenge for the construction sector to reach Finland’s carbon neutrality goals by 2030. Traditional stabilization recipes consisting of cement as binders contributing significantly to CO2 emissions (≅ 500 kg CO2 eq./ton in deep mixing alone). This laboratory study explores the feasibility of achieving near carbon-negative stabilization of soft clay leveraging accelerated CO2 curing (ACC) in biochar (BC) enhanced cementitious composites. BC, a by-product of the biofuel industry, is used as partial replacement of cement (0 %, 10 %, and 50 % of binder) in developing precast cementitious piles. One non-carbonated treatment and two ACC treatments are employed to assess their uniaxial compressive strength, thermogravimetric properties and CO2 sequestration capacity. The results demonstrate that synergistic effects of using BC with ACC not only enhances the compressive strength of the composites but also promotes CO2 uptake due to formation of stable carbonates. BC due to its surface functional groups, honeycomb porous structure, and hydrophilicity facilitated uniform CO2 diffusion in the clay matrix and likely improved internal curing. In ACC treated composites, the replacement of 50 % of cement with BC resulted in sufficient load-bearing capacity (≥50 kPa as per Finnish Guidelines) for both shallow and deep clay layers, making a suitable subgrade media for many types of geotechnical applications. The measured bound CO2 increased gravimetrically from 2 % to 41 % when cement was partially replaced by BC. In case of non-carbonated samples, 10 % partial replacement of BC provided high strength (≥200kPa). Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a case study of utilizing BC stabilized clay in deep mixing operations can potentially reduce net carbon emissions to −50 kg CO2 eq./ton.

Experimental study on energy and damage evolution of dry and water-saturated dolomite from a deep mine

The deformation and failure of a rock is closely related to the strain energy consumption during the load process of rock. To investigate the effect of water on energy evolution and damage characteristics of dolomite samples from a deep mine, the uniaxial compression tests were carried out on dry and water-saturated dolomite samples at different burial depths (900 m–1200 m). The effects of water on the evolution characteristics of elastic and dissipative energy ratios ( Ue/ U and Ud/ U) during rock deformation and failure was analyzed. Based on the variation rate of damage factor ( Df), a new brittleness index is proposed, which can effectively characterize the brittleness characteristics of water-bearing dolomite. The results show that the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of the water-saturated dolomite are significantly reduced compared to dry sample. The energy and damage evolution process of dolomite can be divided into four stages: initial damage stage, stable damage stage, pre-peak accelerated damage stage and post-damage stage. The variation rate of damage factor of the rock samples in the stable damage stage and the pre-peak accelerated damage stage appeared to increase significantly after water saturation treatment. Compared with water-saturated samples, more pronounced energy hardening characteristics and brittleness characteristics were observed in dry samples. In addition, the possible impact on the stability of deep rock engineering after the deterioration of rock mechanical properties and energy storage properties caused by water was analyzed. Groundwater can somewhat reduce rock burst proneness. However, it also has the potential to lead to greater rock engineering destabilization and failure hazards.

Effect of CO2 Nanobubble Water on the Fracture Properties of Cemented Backfill Materials under Different Aggregate Fractal Dimensions

In order to cope with climate change and achieve the goal of carbon neutrality, the use of carbonization technology to enhance the performance of cement-based materials and achieve the purpose of carbon sequestration has become a very promising research direction. This paper considers the use of CO2NBW as mixing water for cement-based materials, aiming to improve the carbonization efficiency of materials to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality. This time, the effect of CO2NBW on cementitious filling materials under different aggregate fractal dimensions was studied through uniaxial compression tests and acoustic emission technology. The effect of CO2NBW on the mechanical properties and crack evolution of the material was discussed. The results showed that CO2 nanobubbles significantly improved the strength of cemented filling materials under different fractal dimensions, and the uniaxial compressive strength was most significantly improved by 23.04% when the fractal dimension was 2.7824. In addition, the characteristics of acoustic emission ring counts and energy parameters indicate that CO2 nanobubbles help improve the overall pore structure of the sample, affecting the macroscopic strength. However, the addition of CO2 nanobubbles reduces the limit energy storage ratio of elastic strain energy, which indicates that excessive CO2 concentration may affect the hydration reaction of the cementing material.

Improving erosion resistance of calcareous sand slope with zinc sulfate solution

Loose and uncemented calcareous sand slopes are prone to collapse under rainstorm erosion. In order to improve the erosion resistance stability of slopes, it is crucial to enhance the erosion resistance of calcareous sand. In this study, a new method of cementing calcareous sand with zinc sulfate solution (ZSS) is proposed. The ZSS reinforcement technique can effectively cement calcareous sand, enhance the mechanical properties and help reduce erosion on calcareous sand slopes. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted, including uniaxial compression tests, Brazilian splitting tests, surface penetration tests, microscopic tests, and rainfall scouring tests. The test results show that the uniaxial compressive strength of calcareous sand achieved 8.3 MPa reinforced with ZSS. Microscopic analyses revealed the mechanism of reinforcement, discovering the formation of environmentally friendly compounds such as ZnCO3 and CaSO4·2 H2O between calcareous sand particles, which enhanced the soil mechanical properties. The calcareous sand slope reinforced with ZSS forms a hard shell on the slope surface, which effectively improves the erosion resistance of the slope. After being reinforced with a ZSS concentration of 1.0 mol/L, the slope remained stable after 20 min of scouring at a rainfall intensity of 80 mm/h. This method provides a quick solution for reinforcing calcareous sand slopes and holds promising potential for practical engineering applications.

Intelligent mix design of steel fiber reinforced concrete using a particle swarm algorithm based on a multi-objective optimization model

Steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) is widely used in construction and is important for concrete-based applications. Nevertheless, compared with conventional concrete, it is difficult to efficiently and accurately design SFRC with a given mix ratio, because many factors affect the SFRC performance. This study proposes a multi-objective optimization model using numerical simulations and artificial intelligence to effectively derive the optimal SFRC mix proportion. For a quick and accurate relationship between the SFRC mix ratio and compressive strength, Latin hypercube sampling was used for sampling the random variables determining the mix ratio, yielding a set of random numbers. Subsequently, a finite-element simulation dataset was constructed, and a backpropagation neural network (BPNN) was used for predicting the complex nonlinear relationship between the raw material mix proportions and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS). The BPNN model was then utilized as the objective function in the multi-objective particle swarm optimization model, with the mix ratio parameters as the input variables and the compressive strength, unit production cost, and carbon dioxide emission as objective functions, which facilitated the search for the optimal mix proportion, yielding a Pareto-optimal solution set. Finally, based on the engineering preferences, the best solution was determined to be the recommended mix proportion.

Synergistic performance of microwave-activated coal gangue with limestone in low-carbon cement

This study aims to apply microwave-activated coal gangue (MCG) to develop limestone calcined clay cement (LC3). The impact of microwave activation schemes (microwave temperature and holding time) on the pozzolanic activity of coal gangue were explored. After that, LC3 cements were prepared by replacing cement clinker with limestone powder (LS) and MCG at different ratios. The uniaxial compressive strength, phase composition, microstructure, and pore structure of the MCG-based LC3 cements were analyzed. The results indicate that the maximum volcanic ash activity index is achieved when the material is microwave-activated at 800 °C with a holding time of 20 min. The MCG based LC3 cements achieve the highest strength at an MCG content of 20 % with an MCG:LS ratio of 2. Then, the response surface methodology was employed to predict the optimal mixture proportions for achieving the best strength of the material. The life cycle analysis shows that the carbon emission of the MCG-based LC3 material is 30 % lower than that of Ordinary Portland Cement. This study develops a new high-performance material with low carbon emission for construction industry.

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.

Mechanical characteristics and constitutive model of cemented tailings backfill under temperature-time effects

The increase in original rock temperature during the deep metal mine backfill mining process significantly impacts the mechanical properties of cemented tailings backfill (CTB). Uniaxial compression experiments were conducted under various curing temperatures and times, analyzing their mechanical characteristics based on strain energy. The experimental results indicate that the mechanical properties of CTB are significantly affected by temperature. The uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) follows a quadratic trend, initially increasing and then decreasing as the curing temperature changes. At the curing temperature of 40 °C, the hydration reaction of CTB develops fully, the hydration products have strong compactness, and the energy absorbed when failure occurs is the largest. The CTB is divided into a solid framework and pore sections to develop a constitutive damage model using a combined macro and micro experimental approach. Polynomial functions represent the correlation between the damage model parameters and curing time and temperature, resulting in a unified temperature-time damage constitutive model. Using the secondary development platform in FLAC3D finite difference software, the damage constitutive model of the CTB was further developed and integrated into the software, enabling both its development and application. This customized model provides a more comprehensive representation of the overall deformation and failure mechanisms of the CTB during compression. The study can predict the strength of CTB under different curing conditions, and provide theoretical reference for the simulation research of filling mining in mines.

The mechanical properties of Lucaogou shale layered samples and the influence of minerals on fracture propagation

Shale oil is one of the most promising alternative unconventional energies in the world, and Lucaogou Formation shows significant exploration potential, becoming the primary target in northwestern China. This paper compared the mechanical properties of shale layered samples from oil layer and interlayer of Lucaogou Formation, using uniaxial compressive tests with real-time micro-CT scanning. After that, the mineral analysis was conducted on one cross-section of the fractured sample to analyze the influence of mineral composition and distribution on micro-crack propagation. Such research has rarely been reported before. The results showed the surface porosity and elastic modulus of oil-bearing samples is larger than that of the interlayer samples, while the uniaxial compressive strength is lower. Besides, when there is only one dominant mineral with a content greater than 60%, a main crack tends to form at this area; When there are 2∼3 major minerals with a content of 10%∼60%, a fractured zone with many fine micro-cracks is more likely to form here. Finally, the higher the Moh’s hardness of the mineral, the more difficult it is for micro-cracks to develop through it.

Delving into the role of microwave curing on the strength and cement hydration features of cemented tailings backfill

Cemented tailings backfill (CTB) comprises tailings, binders, and water and is filled into goaves to regulate the ground pressure and ensure production safety. Thus, shortening the curing time of CTB has been a popular research topic in backfill mining as it maximizes the extraction of the neighboring stopes while lowering mining-related costs. In this study, a self-made horn microwave experimental device was developed to rapidly enhance CTB’s strength property. Subsequently, the microwave-curing effects on the upper surface temperature, strength, deformation coefficient, and hydration reaction of CTB were explored through uniaxial compressive strength, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric/differential thermogravimetric experiments. Experimental marks revealed that the strength property of early-aged (up to 7 d) CTB composites could be rapidly enhanced by microwave curing, except for the 7-d-cured fills with microwave curing times of 5–7 min. Moreover, the hydration reactions of CTB after 3- and 7-d curing were substantially accelerated by microwave curing. Thus, this study offers a novel method of satisfactorily increasing early-aged CTB strength and exploring its hydration mechanisms effectively.

Comparative Study of UPV and IE Results on Concrete Cores from Existing Structures

Dynamic non-destructive methods (NDT) are particularly attractive owing to their time and cost efficiency when compared to conventional uniaxial compressive strength tests. However, the results of these methods are highly scattered; therefore, they are primarily used for qualitative material characterization. One of the most important NDT results is the calculation of the dynamic Young’s modulus, which is associated to the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of concrete. The ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) is the most commonly used NDT. The limitation of this method is that it directly depends on knowledge of the Poisson’s ratio, and an assumption of its value must be made. This assumption results in highly scattered results. In contrast, the impact echo method (IE) can result in a dynamic Young’s modulus calculation without knowing the Poisson’s ratio. The limitation of this method is that it is dependent on the specimen’s slenderness, which in turn depends on the Poisson’s ratio. This study investigates the IE method’s applicability to short cylinders. A comparison of the UPV and IE methods is made, and the error in the dynamic Young’s modulus value derived by assuming Poisson’s ratio value in the UPV method is calculated. The authors conducted a numerical analysis and recently proposed the use of a shape correction factor (SCF) to apply the IE results for short cylinders, considering the influence of the slenderness (L/D) of the samples. For the first time worldwide, an extensive experimental study on 232 concrete samples with L/D ≈ 1.0 confirmed the wide spread of UPV test results and showed that it can lead to an error on Young’s Modulus determination by up to 50% owing to the adoption of an arbitrary Poisson’s ratio value. In contrast, using the SCF yields IE results with a ±2% error. A new methodology, ultrasonic pulse impact echo synergy (UPIES), is proposed by performing both UPV and IE tests on the specimens and using the SCF. The Poisson’s ratio and, consequently, the Young’s modulus can be accurately determined. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2024-010-09-03 Full Text: PDF