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Mechanical properties of thermally treated granite subjected to different multi-stage unloading paths

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate deformation characteristics of thermally subjected granite at different rates of unloading confining pressure. For this purpose, by using a RTX-3000 high-temperature and high-pressure triaxial rock testing machine, a conventional triaxial compression test and a triaxial unloading confining pressure test under constant deviatoric stress were conducted on granite after being heated to 800 °C and cooled naturally. The results show that, compared with the conventional triaxial compression test, the stress–strain curve in the unloading confining pressure test showed an obvious yield platform, in which points of obvious stress drop were observed and rock had obvious characteristics of brittle failure. In the initial stage of unloading confining pressure, volumetric strain increased slightly, and then it rose rapidly till the rock samples were damaged as confining pressure was reduced to a certain extent. In this process, the dilatancy angle of the rock samples rapidly increased with the decrease of confining pressure, followed by a sharp drop immediately after reaching a certain value. Strain-pressure compliance of the rock samples changed slightly in the first three stages in each group of the tests and rapidly rose from the fourth stage. Different from the conventional triaxial compression test, tangent modulus of the rock samples rapidly decreased at the beginning of unloading and then attenuated with leaps. Elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio of the rock samples changed slightly at the beginning of unloading and rapidly reduced with the further decrease of confining pressure till the rock samples were damaged. This study results elucidate the mechanical properties of rocks affected by high temperatures and provide theoretical support to clarify the stability of rocks in deep rock formations after heat exposure.

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Funding

This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51974043), Key Projects of Teaching Reform in Hunan Province in 2022 (HNJG-2022-0031), and 2022 Young Science and Technology Talent Program & Hunan Young Talent Program (2022RC1173), which are gratefully acknowledged. The authors also thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for their valuable advice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, China

    Peng Kang

  2. College of Aerospace Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Zhang Jing & Liu Hao

  3. State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources in Western China, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, 710000, China

    Gao Xicai

  4. School of Safety Science and Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, 232001, China

    Zheng Chunshan

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  1. Peng Kang
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  2. Zhang Jing
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  3. Liu Hao
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  4. Gao Xicai
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Correspondence to Liu Hao.

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Kang, P., Jing, Z., Hao, L. et al. Mechanical properties of thermally treated granite subjected to different multi-stage unloading paths. Environ Earth Sci 82, 53 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-022-10656-7

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