Characteristics of Water Disintegration and Fractal Mechanism of Red Sandstone in Northwest China

Abstract

This study examines the disintegration characteristics of red sandstone in the Lanzhou subway project through disintegration testing. The red sandstone is classified based on its engineering properties. The study analyses the process of red sandstone disintegration caused by water immersion. It examines the particle content of each size interval of red sandstone under different immersion times and analyses the disintegration condition of red sandstone particles. Finally, it quantitatively analyses the disintegration characteristics by introducing the fractal dimension. The results show that as the immersion time increases, the fractal dimension gradually increases, and after complete disintegration, the fractal dimension is about 2.7. The fractal dimension can be used as a process control standard in underground engineering construction in the red sandstone area of Northwest China, providing significant technical engineering value.