Degradation of Strength and Stiffness of Sandstones Caused by Wetting-Drying Cycles: The Role of Mineral Composition

Rock mechanical parameters are of great importance for the construction and design of rock engineering. Rocks are usually subjected to the deteriorating effect of cyclic wetting-drying because of the change in moisture content. The main objective of this study is to reveal the degradation effects of...

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Main Authors: Lu Chen, Yichao Rui, Yihan Zhao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-01-01
Series:Geofluids
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/3483506
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author Lu Chen
Yichao Rui
Yihan Zhao
author_facet Lu Chen
Yichao Rui
Yihan Zhao
author_sort Lu Chen
collection DOAJ
description Rock mechanical parameters are of great importance for the construction and design of rock engineering. Rocks are usually subjected to the deteriorating effect of cyclic wetting-drying because of the change in moisture content. The main objective of this study is to reveal the degradation effects of wetting-drying cycles on strength and modulus on varying rocks. Three kinds of sandstones with different mineral constituents are selected for testing. Artificial treatments of cyclic wetting-drying are conducted on respective specimens of the three sandstones (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 cycles) to simulate the damage of rocks exposed to natural weathering. Uniaxial compressive tests are carried out on sandstone specimens to obtain their strength and modulus. Test results show that, for the tested sandstones, both of the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and modulus are reduced as the cyclic number rises. In the first ten cycles, the losses of UCS and modulus are very significant. Subsequently the changes of UCS and modulus become much more placid against cyclic number. When the cyclic number is the same, the loss percentages of rock mechanical properties of the three sandstones are very different which mainly depends on the contents of expandable and soluble minerals.
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series Geofluids
spelling doaj-art-f4834083d0d94e7fbefd4c1afb6682142025-02-03T05:45:28ZengWileyGeofluids1468-81151468-81232021-01-01202110.1155/2021/34835063483506Degradation of Strength and Stiffness of Sandstones Caused by Wetting-Drying Cycles: The Role of Mineral CompositionLu Chen0Yichao Rui1Yihan Zhao2School of Civil Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, 410114, ChinaSchool of Resources and Safety Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410010, ChinaPowerChina Zhongnan Engineering Corporation Limited, Changsha, 410010, ChinaRock mechanical parameters are of great importance for the construction and design of rock engineering. Rocks are usually subjected to the deteriorating effect of cyclic wetting-drying because of the change in moisture content. The main objective of this study is to reveal the degradation effects of wetting-drying cycles on strength and modulus on varying rocks. Three kinds of sandstones with different mineral constituents are selected for testing. Artificial treatments of cyclic wetting-drying are conducted on respective specimens of the three sandstones (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 cycles) to simulate the damage of rocks exposed to natural weathering. Uniaxial compressive tests are carried out on sandstone specimens to obtain their strength and modulus. Test results show that, for the tested sandstones, both of the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and modulus are reduced as the cyclic number rises. In the first ten cycles, the losses of UCS and modulus are very significant. Subsequently the changes of UCS and modulus become much more placid against cyclic number. When the cyclic number is the same, the loss percentages of rock mechanical properties of the three sandstones are very different which mainly depends on the contents of expandable and soluble minerals.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/3483506
spellingShingle Lu Chen
Yichao Rui
Yihan Zhao
Degradation of Strength and Stiffness of Sandstones Caused by Wetting-Drying Cycles: The Role of Mineral Composition
Geofluids
title Degradation of Strength and Stiffness of Sandstones Caused by Wetting-Drying Cycles: The Role of Mineral Composition
title_full Degradation of Strength and Stiffness of Sandstones Caused by Wetting-Drying Cycles: The Role of Mineral Composition
title_fullStr Degradation of Strength and Stiffness of Sandstones Caused by Wetting-Drying Cycles: The Role of Mineral Composition
title_full_unstemmed Degradation of Strength and Stiffness of Sandstones Caused by Wetting-Drying Cycles: The Role of Mineral Composition
title_short Degradation of Strength and Stiffness of Sandstones Caused by Wetting-Drying Cycles: The Role of Mineral Composition
title_sort degradation of strength and stiffness of sandstones caused by wetting drying cycles the role of mineral composition
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/3483506
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AT yichaorui degradationofstrengthandstiffnessofsandstonescausedbywettingdryingcyclestheroleofmineralcomposition
AT yihanzhao degradationofstrengthandstiffnessofsandstonescausedbywettingdryingcyclestheroleofmineralcomposition