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To study the influence of wetting-drying cycles on dynamic mechanical properties of rock masses, the impact compression tests of red sandstone samples were carried out by using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) apparatus with a diameter of 50 mm. The results showed that under the same number of wetting-drying cycles, the dynamic compressive strength of red sandstone increased exponentially with the strain rate, and the sensitivity of the strain rate decreased with the increase of wetting-drying cycles. The deterioration effect of wetting-drying cycles was significant, and the dynamic and static compressive strength decreased with the increase of wetting-drying cycles; the higher the strain rate, the stronger the sensitivity to wetting-drying cycles. Besides, the influence of wetting-drying cycles and strain rate was comprehensively studied, and the equation of dynamic compressive strength of red sandstone was obtained. After different wetting-drying cycles, the fractal characteristics of red sandstone dynamic fragmentation were obvious, and the fractal dimension was 2.02–2.80, and the fractal dimension increased logarithmically with the strain rate. Finally, the internal microstructure of red sandstone after different wetting-drying cycles was analyzed, and the degradation mechanism of the rock by the cycles was discussed.

Abstract:The water inrush from karst collapse column (KCC) is a cascading, vicious cycle disaster caused by geological and mining activities, that can cause serious casualties and property losses. The key to preventing this risk is to study the mechanism of water inrush under confining pressure. Aiming at the investigationg the characteristics of the KCC named X1 in Chensilou mine, a series of methods, including connectivity experiments, water pressure monitoring tests in two side-walls, and numerical simulations based on plastic damage-seepage (PD-S) theory have been developed. The methods are used to test the security of the 2519 mining area, the damage thickness, pore water pressure, and seepage vector in the X1. The results indicate that the X1 has a certain water blocking capacity. In addition, with the decrease of confining pressure and increase of shear stress, deviatoric stress could cause the increase of permeability, the reduction of strength, and the reduction of pore water pressure in KCC. Therefore the increased effective stress in the rock will force the rock to become more fractured. Conversely, the broken rock could cause the change of stress, and further initiate new plastic strains, damage and pore water pressure until a new equilibrium is reached. This cascading water inrush mechanism will contribute to the exploitation of deep coal resources in complex geological and hydrogeological conditions.

Abstract:Tensile strength is one significant parameter involved in tensile fracture in soil mechanics. In this paper, a stress-controlled, uniaxial, direct-tension test apparatus was developed to investigate the tensile properties of soils. A limited number of investigations have examined the impact of anisotropy and loading interval on the tensile strength of undisturbed loess. The deformation and strains generated were also examined during the tests. It was revealed that anisotropy was an important factor affecting tensile strength of undisturbed loess, and the effect of loading interval on tensile strength significantly depended on water content. It was negligible while the water content was below the plastic limit. However, when the water content was above the plastic limit, the loading interval not only affected the tensile strength, but also the failure displacement and stiffness response of the soil. Two patterns of tensile fracture were summarized and discussed. Moreover, an empirical constitutive relation was proposed to describe the stress-strain relationship of undisturbed loess and its robustness was validated by the experimental data.

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