Abstract
Water is believed to be a significant factor affecting the short- and long-term strength of rocks. To further understand the effect of water on the mechanical behavior of rocks, we first performed a series of water absorption tests and uniaxial compression tests (different soak times) to guide a time-dependent creep test. Then, uniaxial creep tests under different water-stress sequence conditions and the traditional creep test were performed. Finally, the effect of water distribution on rock strength and failure patterns is discussed. The obtained results show that the water-stress sequences would result in different mechanical behaviors of rock, i.e., the specimens were more likely to fail under the condition of loading followed by soaking than under the condition of soaking followed by loading and loading after soaking. Furthermore, the strength of the specimen with a nonhomogeneous water distribution is greater than that of the homogeneous specimen if they have the same water content. Because the nonhomogeneous water distribution is dry inside the specimen, the homogeneous water distribution affects the entire specimen, leading to greater softening. According to the obtained results, the sequence of loading and soaking should be considered when predicting the stability of rock mass engineering.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Afifipour M, Moarefvand P (2014) Experimental study of post-peak behavior of bimrocks with high rock block proportions. J Cent South Univ 21:761–767. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-014-1999-z
Bolin H, Yueping Y, Guoqiang Y, Bin L, Zhen Q, Jian W (2021) A study on in situ measurements of carbonate rock mass degradation in the water-level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China. B Eng Geol Environ 80:1091–1101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-020-01990-w
Chen P, Tang S, Liang X, Zhang Y, Tang C (2021) The influence of immersed water level on the short- and long-term mechanical behavior of sandstone. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 138:104631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2021.104631
Deng HF, Zhou ML, Li JL, Sun XS, Huang YL (2016) Creep degradation mechanism by water-rock interaction in the red-layer soft rock. Arab J Geosci 9:601. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-016-2604-6
Erguler ZA, Ulusay R (2009) Water-induced variations in mechanical properties of clay-bearing rocks. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 46:355–370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2008.07.002
Grgic D, Amitrano D (2009) Creep of a porous rock and associated acoustic emission under different hydrous conditions. J Geophys Res 114. https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JB004881
Hashiba K, Fukui K (2015) Effect of water on the deformation and failure of rock in uniaxial tension. Rock Mech Rock Eng 48:1751–1761. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-014-0674-x
Hatheway AW (2009) The complete ISRM suggested methods for rock characterization, testing and monitoring; 1974–2006. Environ Eng Geosci 15:47–48. https://doi.org/10.2113/gseegeosci.15.1.47
Hawkins AB, McConnell BJ (1992) Sensitivity of sandstone strength and deformability to changes in moisture content. Q J Eng Geol Hydroge 25:115–130. https://doi.org/10.1144/GSL.QJEG.1992.025.02.05
Hong DW, Wang T, Tong Y (2007) An outline about granitoids in China. Geol Rev (Beijing) 8:9–16 (in Chinese)
Jaoul O, Tullis J, Kronenberg A (1984) The effect of varying water contents on the creep behavior of Heavitree quartzite. J Geophys Res 89:4298–4312. https://doi.org/10.1029/JB089iB06p04298
Košťák B, Bielenstein HU (1971) Strength distribution in hard rock. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 8:501–521. https://doi.org/10.1016/1365-1609(71)90015-3
Li D, Wong LNY, Liu G, Zhang X (2012) Influence of water content and anisotropy on the strength and deformability of low porosity meta-sedimentary rocks under triaxial compression. Eng Geol 126:46–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2011.12.009
Liang X, Tang S, Tang C, Wang J (2021) The influence of water on the shear behaviors of intact sandstone. B Eng Geol Environ 80:6077–6091. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-021-02315-1
Liu H, Li Z, Zhang Y, Wang D (2020a) The weakening mechanisms of the rock mechanics of marlite bank slopes under water–rock interaction conditions. Carbonate Evaporite 35:60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-020-00595-4
Liu H, Zhu W, Yu Y, Xu T, Li R, Liu X (2020b) Effect of water imbibition on uniaxial compression strength of sandstone. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 127:104200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2019.104200
Liu Y, Liu C, Kang Y, Wang D, Ye D (2015) Experimental research on creep properties of limestone under fluid–solid coupling. Environ Earth Sci 73:7011–7018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4022-6
Masoumi H, Horne J, Timms W (2017) Establishing empirical relationships for the effects of water content on the mechanical behavior of gosford sandstone. Rock Mech Rock Eng 50:2235–2242. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-017-1243-x
Naghadehi MZ, KhaloKakaie R, Torabi SR (2010) The influence of moisture on sandstone properties in Iran. Proc Inst Civ Eng Geotech Eng 163:91–99. https://doi.org/10.1680/geng.2010.163.2.91
Nara Y, Tanaka M, Harui T (2017) Evaluating long-term strength of rock under changing environments from air to water. Eng Fract Mech 178:201–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2017.04.015
Okubo S, Fukui K, Hashiba K (2010) Long-term creep of water-saturated tuff under uniaxial compression. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 47:839–844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2010.03.012
Sawatsubashi M, Kiyota T, Katagiri T (2021) Effect of initial water content and shear stress on immersion-induced creep deformation and strength characteristics of gravelly mudstone. Soils Found. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sandf.2021.06.015
Shi X, Cai W, Meng Y, Li G, Wen K, Zhang Y (2016) Weakening laws of rock uniaxial compressive strength with consideration of water content and rock porosity. Arab J Geosci 9:369. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-016-2426-6
Tang S (2018) The effects of water on the strength of black sandstone in a brittle regime. Eng Geol 239:167–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2018.03.025
Tang S, Dong Z, Wang J, Mahmood A (2020) A numerical study of fracture initiation under different loads during hydraulic fracturing. J Cent South Univ 27:3875–3887. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-020-4470-3
Tang SB, Yu CY, Heap MJ, Chen PZ, Ren YG (2018) The influence of water saturation on the short- and long-term mechanical behavior of red sandstone. Rock Mech Rock Eng 51:2669–2687. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-018-1492-3
Török Á, Vásárhelyi B (2010) The influence of fabric and water content on selected rock mechanical parameters of travertine, examples from Hungary. Eng Geol 115:237–245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2010.01.005
Urai JL, Spiers CJ, Zwart HJ, Lister GS (1986) Weakening of rock salt by water during long-term creep. Nature 324:554–557. https://doi.org/10.1038/324554a0
Vásárhelyi B, Ván P (2006) Influence of water content on the strength of rock. Eng Geol 84:70–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2005.11.011
Wasantha PLP, Ranjith PG (2014) Water-weakening behavior of Hawkesbury sandstone in brittle regime. Eng Geol 178:91–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2014.05.015
Wong LNY, Maruvanchery V, Liu G (2016) Water effects on rock strength and stiffness degradation. Acta Geotech 11:713–737. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-015-0407-7
Yang S, Jing H, Cheng L (2014) Influences of pore pressure on short-term and creep mechanical behavior of red sandstone. Eng Geol 179:10–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2014.06.016
Yu C, Tang S, Tang C, Duan D, Zhang Y, Liang Z, Ma K, Ma T (2019) The effect of water on the creep behavior of red sandstone. Eng Geol 253:64–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2019.03.016
Zhou Z, Cai X, Cao W, Li X, Xiong C (2016) Influence of water content on mechanical properties of rock in both saturation and drying processes. Rock Mech Rock Eng 49:3009–3025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-016-0987-z
Funding
This project was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51874065 and U1903112).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Tang, S., Li, J., Ding, S. et al. The influence of water-stress loading sequences on the creep behavior of granite. Bull Eng Geol Environ 81, 482 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-02987-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-02987-3