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Experimental Study on the Water-Induced Weakening of Calcarenites

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Abstract

Carbonatic rocks, such as calcarenites, are very often subject to damage processes, causing a progressive degradation of their mechanical properties. In nature, in some cases, this phenomenon can cause the collapse of cliffs and underground cavities, with dangerous consequences for the anthropic environment. In this paper, the results of an experimental campaign, intended to both clarify and quantify the mechanical consequences of this process, are illustrated. To achieve such a goal, suitable physical and geotechnical indices are introduced and different time scales to describe the physical/chemical reactions induced by the water saturation of the material are taken into consideration. In particular, the authors have observed: (1) a short-term marked and instantaneous reduction in strength when water fills the pores of the rock; (2) a long-term dissolution; and (3) a progressive chemically induced reduction in the grain size. To describe the degradation processes induced by the material water saturation, owing to the complexity of the hydro-chemo-mechanical phenomena taking place within the material, suitably designed tests under controlled “weathering” conditions were also performed and discussed.

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Abbreviations

STD:

Short-term debonding

LTD:

Long-term debonding

GDP:

Grain dissolution process

UC:

Unconfined compression test

BT:

Brazilian test

OED:

Oedometric compression test

WTD:

Weathering testing device

WTD-O:

Weathering testing device under oedometric conditions

WTD-U:

Weathering testing device under unconfined compression conditions

UCS:

Unconfined compression strength

A :

Current structure area

A 0 :

Initial structure area

E :

Young’s modulus

ε r :

Radial strain

ε a :

Axial strain

M TOT :

Total calcite mass

M S :

Calcite mass in the solid phase

M F :

Calcite mass in the fluid phase

M GR :

Grain calcite mass

M D–b :

Diagenetic bonds mass

M P :

Total powder mass

M P–susp :

Portion of powder mass suspended in water

M P–b :

Portion of powder mass forming the depositional bonds

M STRU :

Structure mass, the solid component of material that transmits stresses across the material

\(M_{\text{P}_{0}}\) :

Initial total powder mass

n :

Porosity

e :

Void ratio

γ dry :

Dry unit weight

γ sat :

Saturated unit weight

ψ :

Suction

ψ 0 :

Suction during UC tests

p′:

Mean effective stress

q :

Deviatoric stress

σ r :

Radial stress

σ a :

Axial stress

σ wett0 :

Initial peak tensile stress in saturated conditions

σ wet–damagedt :

Tensile peak stress in saturated conditions of the weathered calcarenite

σ wetc0 :

Initial peak compressive stress in saturated conditions

σ wet–damagedc :

Unconfined peak compressive stress in saturated conditions of the weathered calcarenite

σ wetc0–oed :

Initial oedometric peak compressive stress in saturated conditions

σ wet–damagedc–oed :

Oedometric peak compressive stress in saturated conditions of the weathered calcarenite

S r :

Degree of saturation

S r0 :

Degree of saturation during UC tests

S r*:

Minimum degree of saturation necessary to suspend all the powder mass in the structure

σ c :

Compressive stress

σ t :

Tensile stress

σ peakc :

Peak compressive stress

σ peakt :

Peak tensile stress

ξ dis :

Dissolution reaction progress variable

ξ dis,cr :

Value of the dissolution reaction progress variable when all diagenetic bonds are assumed to be dissolved

ξ sus :

STD progress variable

u a :

Air pressure

u w :

Water pressure

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Professor Tomasz Hueckel and Professor Claudio Tamagnini for the many fruitful discussions concerning the experiments. M. O. Ciantia is particularly grateful to Professor Roberto Nova for his passion and enthusiasm devoted to scientific investigation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ingeniería del Terreno, Universidad Politècnica de Cataluna (UPC), Barcelona, Spain

    Matteo Oryem Ciantia

  2. Università degli studi Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 4, 20100, Milan, Italy

    Riccardo Castellanza

  3. Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Claudio di Prisco

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  1. Matteo Oryem Ciantia
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  2. Riccardo Castellanza
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  3. Claudio di Prisco
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Correspondence to Matteo Oryem Ciantia.

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Ciantia, M.O., Castellanza, R. & di Prisco, C. Experimental Study on the Water-Induced Weakening of Calcarenites. Rock Mech Rock Eng 48, 441–461 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-014-0603-z

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