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Mechanical and permeability characteristics of rock under hydro-mechanical coupling conditions

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Abstract

A study on the mechanical characteristics and permeability properties of sandstone and limestone from a coal mine under 3D stresses has been carried out with the MTS815 rock mechanics test system, and the characteristics of mechanics and permeability before and after the rock failure under hydro-mechanical coupling conditions have been analyzed and discussed. The research revealed the difference of mechanics and permeability before and after the rock failure and obtained the relationship among the strength, deformation and differential water pressure. It also obtained the correlation among the permeability and stress, strain and revealed the features of fractures which influenced the correlation. The results show that there are obvious weakening effects of differential water pressures on the mechanical properties after the rock damages; the permeability of rock mass in practical engineering is mainly controlled by the features of fractures; the permeability has an negative index correlation with the axial strain ε 1, and has a power function correlation with the mean stress σ m(σ m = (σ 1 + 2σ 3)/3); for fractured limestone and coarse sandstone, the permeabiity will tend to be stable gradually when the mean stress reaches or exceeds a certain value σ ml.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51120145001, 51374148), the National Basic Research Projects of China (Grant No. 2011CB201201), the CERS-China Equipment and Education Resources System (CERS-1-114), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 2014SCU04A07). The authors wish to offer their gratitude and regards to the colleagues who contributed to this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China

    Lu Wang, Jian-feng Liu, Jian-liang Pei, Hui-ning Xu & Yu Bian

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  1. Lu Wang
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  2. Jian-feng Liu
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  3. Jian-liang Pei
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  4. Hui-ning Xu
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  5. Yu Bian
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Correspondence to Jian-feng Liu.

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Wang, L., Liu, Jf., Pei, Jl. et al. Mechanical and permeability characteristics of rock under hydro-mechanical coupling conditions. Environ Earth Sci 73, 5987–5996 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4190-4

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