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Failure of Layered Sandstone under Brazilian Test Conditions: Effect of Micro-Scale Parameters on Macro-Scale Behaviour

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Abstract

The experimental research in this paper focuses on the effect of micro-scale parameters on macro-scale behaviour of samples tested under Brazilian test conditions for one particular layered sandstone, i.e. sandstone from Modave in the South of Belgium. Five (visually) similar blocks are studied; however, they are different at micro-scale. Their differences on microscopic level (such as grain size, mineral contents and number of layer boundaries) affect the failure process. Fracture length parallel to the layers increases if more layer boundaries (e.g. per cm) are present and more weak minerals. The Brazilian tensile strength of studied layered Modave sandstone is larger for larger quartz grains, while fracture length parallel to the layers is smaller. Quartz grains in the studied layered sandstone are classified as fine sand.

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Acknowledgments

The financial support of the Research Council of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (OT-project OT/03/35) is gratefully appreciated. The work is part of the Ph.D. study by A. Tavallali. Authors acknowledge their sincere thanks to Prof. Rudy Swennen from the Geology Section of K.U.Leuven for helpful comments and also permitting the use of their microscopic instruments. Thanks to Herman Nijs who carefully prepared the thin sections. Also Dr. David Lagrou and Dr. Roland Dreesen from Vito (Flemish Institute for Technological Research) are thanked for permitting the use of their microscopic instruments. The authors thank Dr. Koen Van den Bril and Dr. Peter Bertier for their helpful comments in the geological part of the study.

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  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 40, 3001, Louvain, Belgium

    Abbass Tavallali & André Vervoort

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  1. Abbass Tavallali
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  2. André Vervoort
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Correspondence to Abbass Tavallali.

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Tavallali, A., Vervoort, A. Failure of Layered Sandstone under Brazilian Test Conditions: Effect of Micro-Scale Parameters on Macro-Scale Behaviour. Rock Mech Rock Eng 43, 641–653 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-010-0084-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-010-0084-7

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