Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of the Intermediate Principal Stress on Sandstone Failure

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper reports the results of fracture testing of sandstone under constant minor principal stress (20 MPa) and various intermediate principal stresses. The results show that when the minor principal stress is constant, as the intermediate principal stress increases, the ratio of the octahedral shear stress (τoct) to the octahedral normal stress (σoct) decreases. The strength criterion of τoct/σoct = f(σ2) is obtained. This criterion reflects not only the hydrostatic stress and intermediate principal stress effects but also the Lode angle effect. This criterion reveals the reason why the rock strength increases and then decreases with increasing intermediate principal stress. The decreasing trend is fitted by linear, logarithmic and Boltzmann equations. The applicability of the three fitting equations for strength prediction and the π plane strength envelopes is analysed, and the results of the Boltzmann fitting equation are the best. The deformation characteristics of rock during the failure process are analysed. The changing process of the tangential deformation modulus of the rock is found to be divided into three stages during the loading process: an increasing stage, an initial decreasing stage and a rapidly decreasing stage. Based on an analysis of computed tomography (CT) images of the internal fractures of rock and photographs of the fracture surfaces, the internal fractures are found to be clear and smooth, and the shear stresses in the fracture surfaces are strengthened with increasing intermediate principal stress. The dominant shear stress in the process of failure is considered to cause these phenomena.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

σ 1 :

Major principal stress

σ 2 :

Intermediate principal stress

σ 3 :

Minor principal stress

b :

Intermediate principal stress coefficient, \(b{\text{ = }}\frac{{{\sigma _2}{\text{ }} - {\text{ }}{\sigma _3}}}{{{\sigma _1}{\text{ }} - {\text{ }}{\sigma _3}}}\)

θ :

Stress Lode angle

\({\sigma _{{\text{oct}}}}\) :

Octahedral normal stress, \({\sigma _{{\text{oct}}}}=({\sigma _{\text{1}}}+{\sigma _2}+{\sigma _3})/3\)

\({\tau _{{\text{oct}}}}\) :

Octahedral shear stress, \({\tau _{{\text{oct}}}}=\sqrt {{{({\sigma _{\text{1}}} - {\sigma _2})}^2}+{{({\sigma _{\text{1}}} - {\sigma _3})}^2}+{{({\sigma _2} - {\sigma _3})}^2}} /3\)

B d :

Evaluation parameters for brittleness

B 1d :

The magnitude of the relative post-peak stress drop

B 2d :

Parameter for the velocity of the post-peak stress decrease

k :

Absolute value of the slope of stress drop

τ p :

The peak deviatoric stress

τ r :

The residual deviatoric stress

References

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51434003, 51874053, 51804049), Graduate Scientific Research and Innovation Foundation of Chongqing, China (Grant nos. CYB16030, CYS17046), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Funded Project (2017M612917) and Chongqing Postdoctoral Special Foundation Funded Project (XM2017043).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China

    Zhenlong Song, Guangzhi Yin, Minghui Li, Jie Huang & Chao Liu

  2. College of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China

    Zhenlong Song, Guangzhi Yin, Minghui Li, Jie Huang & Chao Liu

  3. Deep Earth Energy Research Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia

    Zhenlong Song & P. G. Ranjith

Authors
  1. Zhenlong Song
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Guangzhi Yin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. G. Ranjith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Minghui Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jie Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Chao Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guangzhi Yin.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Song, Z., Yin, G., Ranjith, P.G. et al. Influence of the Intermediate Principal Stress on Sandstone Failure. Rock Mech Rock Eng 52, 3033–3046 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-019-01756-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-019-01756-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation