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A New Model for the Dilation of Brittle Rocks Based on Laboratory Compression Test Data with Separate Treatment of Dilatancy Mobilization and Decay

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Abstract

In this study, a new model is presented for the dilation angle of rocks which deform through brittle mechanisms in laboratory compression tests. This model, which is defined by a smaller number of independent parameters than similar models, is shown to fit laboratory test data for a wide variety of rocks (sedimentary rocks, diabase, marble, granites, and quartzite). A detailed investigation of each model parameter is performed, and potential links to geological and geotechnical properties are made. A mechanistic interpretation of the observed dilation angle data is also presented, in the context of the new model. Model parameters for the rock types studied are presented, and recommendations for parameter determination/estimation are made. The key strength of the model is shown to be its flexibility to accommodate a data-poor or data-rich analysis, as well as a simplified or comprehensive implementation. Practical guidance for model modifications is provided.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the ongoing support of Dr. Leandro Alejano and Javier Arzua from the University of Vigo, Spain, as well as Denis Labrie at the CANMET laboratory in Ottawa, Canada. Thanks to Anna Crockford and Ehsan Ghazvinian for providing comments on the manuscript. This work would not be possible without funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Canada.

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  1. Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada

    G. Walton & M. S. Diederichs

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  1. G. Walton
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  2. M. S. Diederichs
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Correspondence to G. Walton.

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Walton, G., Diederichs, M.S. A New Model for the Dilation of Brittle Rocks Based on Laboratory Compression Test Data with Separate Treatment of Dilatancy Mobilization and Decay. Geotech Geol Eng 33, 661–679 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-015-9849-9

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