Abstract
Water has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of rocks, especially those containing expansive clay minerals. The red-layer mudstone contains various clay minerals, which easily collapse in water. To further study the effect of water on the mechanical properties of red-layer mudstone, uniaxial and triaxial tests were first conducted on samples with different moisture contents, prepared using the gaseous moisture absorption method in the laboratory. The effect of water on the fracture mode, mechanical behaviour and strength of the red-layer mudstone was subsequently studied at a heterogeneous particle scale using the three-dimensional numerical simulation program 3DEC. The results demonstrated that the strengths of the mudstone samples (uniaxial compressive and triaxial compressive strengths) decreased with an increase in the moisture content. As the moisture content increased, the elastic modulus and residual strength of mudstone decreased. The Mohr–Coulomb strength envelope under different moisture contents was constructed, and it was found that with an increase in the moisture content, the cohesion of the mudstone decreased significantly and the internal friction angle remained almost unchanged. This numerical model accurately demonstrates the damage evolution (tensile and shear cracks) at a heterogeneous particle scale. Simultaneously, the macroscopic mechanical behaviour, strength and failure patterns observed in the laboratory were reproduced. Finally, this study reveals the weakening mechanism of water on the mechanical properties of red-layer mudstone at macroscopic and Ümesoscopic scales.
Highlights
-
Numerical simulation and laboratory tests were used to study the variation of mechanical properties of red-layer mudstone with moisture contents and the weakening mechanism of moisture on its mechanical properties
-
Mudstone samples with different moisture contents were prepared by gaseous hygroscopic method, which overcame the challenge of mudstone disintegrating in water
-
The discrete element method (3DEC) was used to randomly generate heterogeneous mudstone samples with different clay mineral grains.
-
An empirical formula was established to predict the mechanical properties of red-layer mudstones at different moisture content.
-
The effects of different moisture contents on mesoscopic mechanical parameters and joint displacements of contacts between red-layer mudstone grains were analysed.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.
References
Abe S, Mair K (2009) Effects of gouge fragment shape on fault friction: new 3D modelling results. Geophys Res Lett 36(23):L23302. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL040684
Al-Maamori HMS, El Naggar MH, Micic S (2019) Wetting effects and strength degradation of swelling shale evaluated from multistage triaxial test. Underground Space 4(2):79–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.undsp.2018.12.002
Azocar KD (2016) Investigating the mesh dependency and upscaling of 3D grain-based models for the simulation of brittle fracture processes in low-porosity crystalline rock (Doctoral dissertation, Queen's University (Canada)).
Bass JD (1995) Elasticity of minerals, glasses, and melts. Min Phys Crystallogr Handb Phys Constants 2:45–63. https://doi.org/10.1029/rf002p0045
Baud P, Zhu W, Wong TF (2000) Failure mode and weakening effect of water on sandstone. J Geophys Res Solid Earth 105:16371–16389. https://doi.org/10.1029/2000jb900087
Chen S, Yue Z, Tham L (2007) Digital Image Based Approach for three-dimensional mechanical analysis of heterogeneous rocks. Rock Mech Rock Engng 40:145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-006-0105-8
Cherblanc F, Berthonneau J, Bromblet P, Huon V (2016) Influence of water content on the mechanical behaviour of limestone: role of the clay minerals content. Rock Mech Rock Eng 49:2033–2042. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-015-0911-y
Dai ZJ, Guo JH, Zhou Z, Chen SX, Yu F, Li J (2020) Inversion and prediction of long-term uplift deformation of high-speed railway subgrade in central Sichuan red-bed. Chin J Rock Mech Eng 39(S2):3538–3548. https://doi.org/10.13722/j.cnki.jrme.2019.1149
Dai ZJ, Guo JH, Yu F, Zhou Z, Li J, Chen SX (2021) Long-term uplift of high-speed railway subgrade caused by swelling effect of red-bed mudstone: case study in Southwest China. Bull Eng Geol Env 80(6):4855–4869. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-021-02220-7
Doostmohammadi R, Moosavi M, Mutschler T, Osan C (2009) Influence of cyclic wetting and drying on swelling behavior of mudstone in south west of Iran. Environ Geol 58(5):999–1009. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1579-3
Duda M, Renner J (2013) The weakening effect of water on the brittle failure strength of sandstone. Geophys J Int 192:1091–1108. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggs090
Einstein H (1989) Suggested methods for laboratory testing of argillaceous swelling rocks. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 26(5):415–426. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(90)94565-b
Erguler ZA, Ulusay R (2009) Water-induced variations in mechanical properties of clay-bearing rocks. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 46(2):355–370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2008.07.002
Farahmand K, Vazaios I, Diederichs MS, Vlachopoulos N (2018) Investigating the scale-dependency of the geometrical and mechanical properties of a moderately jointed rock using a syn thetic rock mass (SRM) approach. Comput Geotech 95:162–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2017.10.002
Feng QY, Han BP, Sui WH (1999) Characteristics of water-rock interaction of red-beds and its application to engineering in southwestern Shandong. J Eng Geol 03:266–271
Gao FQ, Stead D, Elmo D (2016) Numerical simulation of microstructure of brittle rock using a grain-breakable distinct element grain-based model. Comput Geotech 78:203–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2016.05.019
Ghazvinian E, Diederichs M, Quey R (2014) 3D random Voronoi grain-based models for simulation of brittle rock damage and fabric-guided micro-fracturing. J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 6(6):506–521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2014.09.001
Guo YC, Xie Q, Wen JQ (2007) Red beds distribution and engineering geological problem in China. Hydrogeol Eng Geol 6:67–71
Hou TS, Xu GL, Shen YJ, Wu ZZ, Zhang NN, Wang R (2013) Formation mechanism and stability analysis of the Houba expansive soil landslide. Eng Geol 161:34–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2013.04.010
Hsu SC, Chiang SS, Lai JR (2004) Failure mechanisms of tunnels in weak rock with interbedded structures. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 41:670–675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2004.03.117
Hu DW, Zhang F, Shao JF, Gatmiri B (2013) Influences of mineralogy and water content on the mechanical properties of argillite. Rock Mech Rock Eng 47:157–166. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-013-0413-8
Huang SB, Cheng Q, Hu HT (2005) A study on distribution of Sichuan red beds and engineering environment characteristics. Highway 5:81–85
ISRM (1983) Characterisation of swelling rock [M]. Pergamon Press, Oxford, pp 1–30
ISRM (1999) Suggested methods for laboratory testing of swelling rocks. Rock Mech Min Sci 36:291–306
Ji M, Gao F, Gao YN, Gu HX (2010) Study on time-dependent effect of calcareous mudstone expansion after infiltrated with water. J China Univ Min Technol 39(4):511–515
Kazerani T, Zhao J (2010) Micromechanical parameters in bonded particle method for modelling of brittle material failure. Int J Numer Anal Meth Geomech 34(18):1877–1895. https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.884
Khasin VL (2014) Stochastic model of crack propagation in brittle heterogeneous materials. Int J Eng Sci 82:101–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijengsci.2014.04.002
Li D, Wong LNY, Liu G, Zhang X (2012) Influence of water content and anisotropy on the strength and deformability of low porosity meta-sedimentary rocks under triaxial compression. Eng Geol 126:46–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2011.12.009
Li XF, Li HB, Zhao Y (2017a) 3D polycrystalline discrete element method (3PDEM) for simulation of crack initiation and propagation in granular rock. Comput Geotech 90:96–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2017.05.023
Li J, Konietzky H, Fruhwirt T (2017b) Voronoi-Based DEM Simulation Approach for Sandstone Considering Grain Structure and Pore Size. Rock Mech Rock Eng 50(10):2749–2761. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-017-1257-4
Li XF, Zhang QB, Li HB, Zhao J (2018) Grain-Based Discrete Element Method (GB-DEM) Modelling of Multi-scale Fracturing in Rocks Under Dynamic Loading. Rock Mech Rock Eng 51(12):3785–3817. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-018-1566-2
Li CD, Fu ZY, Wang Y, Tang HM, Yan JF, Gong WP, Yao WM, Criss RE (2019) Susceptibility of reservoir-induced landslides and strategies for increasing the slope stability in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area: Zigui Basin as an example. Eng Geol 261:105279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2019.105279
Li CD, Criss RE, Fu ZY, Long JJ, Tan QW (2021) Evolution characteristics and displacement forecasting model of landslides with stair-step sliding surface along the Xiangxi River, three Gorges Reservoir region. China. Eng Geol 283:105961. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2020.105961
Liu CD, Cheng Y, Jiao YY, Zhang GH, Zhang WS, Ou GZ, Tan F (2021) Experimental study on the effect of water on mechanical properties of swelling mudstone. Eng Geol 295(20):106448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2021.106448
Lu Y, Wang L, Sun X, Wang J (2016) Experimental study of the influence of water and temperature on the mechanical behavior of mudstone and sandstone. Bull Eng Geol Environ 76:645–660. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-016-0851-0
Ma H, Yin LJ, Ji H (2011) Numerical study of the effect of confining stress on rock fragmentation by TBM cutters. Int J Rock Mech Min 48(6):1021–1033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2011.05.002
Martin C (1997) Seventeenth Canadian geotechnical colloquium: the effect of cohesion loss and stress path on brittle rock strength. Can Geotech J 34(5):698–725. https://doi.org/10.1139/t97-030
Masoumi H, Horne J, Timms W (2017) Establishing empirical relationships for the effects of water content on the mechanical behavior of gosford sandstone. Rock Mech Rock Eng 50:2235–2242. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-017-1243-x
Mcbeck J, Mair K, Renard F (2019) How porosity controls macroscopic failure via propagating fractures and percolating force chains in porous granular rocks. J Geophys Res 124(9):9920–9939. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JB017825
Müller C, Fruhwirt T, Haase D, Schlegel R, Konietzky H (2018) Modeling deformation and damage of rock salt using the discrete element method. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 103:230–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2018.01.022
Pham QT, Vales F, Malinsky L, Nguyen Minh D, Gharbi H (2007) Effects of desaturation–resaturation on mudstone. Phys Chem Earth 32(8–14):646–655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2006.03.012
Potyondy DO (2010) A grain-based model for rock: approaching the true microstructure. Proceedings of rock mechanics in the Nordic Countries. 9–12.
Shakoor A, Barefield EH (2009) Relationship between unconfined compressive strength and degree of saturation for selected sandstones. Environ Eng Geosci 15(1):29–40. https://doi.org/10.2113/gseegeosci.15.1.29
Tang C (1997) Numerical simulation of progressive rock failure and associated seismicity. Int J Rock Mech Min 34(2):249–261. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-9062(96)00039-3
Tang S (2018) The effects of water on the strength of black sandstone in a brittle regime. Eng Geol 239:167–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2018.03.025
Tang AM, Cui YJ, Trinh VN, Szerman Y, Marchadier G (2009) Analysis of the railway heave induced by soil swelling at a site in southern France. Eng Geol 106:68–77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2009.03.002
Vásárhelyi B (2005) Technical note statistical analysis of the influence of water content on the strength of the Miocene limestone. Rock Mech Rock Eng 38(1):69–76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-004-0034-3
Vásárhelyi B, Davarpanah M (2018) Influence of water content on the mechanical parameters of the intact rock and rock mass. Periodica Polytechnica Civil Engineering 62(4):1060–1066
Vásárhelyi B, Vánb P (2006) Influence of water content on the strength of rock. Eng Geol 84(1–2):70–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2005.11.011
Vergara MR, Triantafyllidis T (2016) Influence of water content on the mechanical properties of an argillaceous swelling rock. Rock Mech Rock Eng 49:2555–2568. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-016-0938-8
Villeneuve MC (2008) Examination of geological influence on machine excavation of highly stressed tunnels in massive hard rock (Doctoral dissertation).
Wang TT, Huang TH (2002) An experience of tunnelling in mudstone area in southwestern Taiwan. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 17(4):425–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0886-7798(02)00068-8
Wang T, Yan C, Zheng H, Zheng Y, Wang G (2022) Microfracture behavior and energy evolution of heterogeneous mudstone subjected to moisture diffusion. Comput Geotechn 150:104918. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2022.104918
Wasantha PLP, Ranjith PG (2014) Water-weakening behavior of Hawkesbury sandstone in brittle regime. Eng Geol 178:91–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2014.05.015
Wen BP, Wang S, Wang E, Zhang JM, Wu YG, Wang X (2005) Deformation characteristics of loess landslide along the contact between loess and Neocene red mudstone. Acta Geologica Sinica-English Edition 79:139–151. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-6724.2005.tb00875.x
Xu T, Zhou GL, Heap MJ, Zhu WC, Chen CF, Baud P (2017) The infuence of temperature on time-dependent deformation and failure in granite: a mesoscale modeling approach. Rock Mech Rock Eng 50(9):2345–2364. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-017-1228-9
Xu T, Zhou GL, Heap MJ, Yang SQ, Konietzky H, Baud P (2018) The modeling of time-dependent deformation and fracturing of brittle rocks under varying confning and pore pressures. Rock Mech Rock Eng 51(10):3241–3263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-018-1491-4
Xu T, Fu TF, Heap MJ, Meredith PG, Mitchell TM, Baud P (2020) Mesoscopic Damage and Fracturing of Heterogeneous Brittle Rocks Based on Three-dimensional Polycrystalline Discrete Element Method. Rock Mech Rock Eng 53:5389–5409. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-020-02223-y
Yao Q, Chen T, Ju M, Liang S, Liu Y, Li X (2016) Effects of Water Intrusion on Mechanical Properties of and Crack Propagation in coal. Rock Mech Rock Eng 49:4699–4709. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-016-1079-9
Yilmaz I (2010) Influence of water content on the strength and deformability of gypsum. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 47(2):342–347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2009.09.002
Yin YP, Hu RL (2004) Engineering geological characteristics of purplish-red mudstone of middle tertiary formation at the three gorges reservoir. J Eng Geol 12(2):124–135
Zhang XP, Wong LNY (2014) Choosing a proper loading rate for bonded-particle model of intact rock. Int J Fract 189(2):163–179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10704-014-9968-y
Zhang H, Adoko AC, Meng Z, Wang H, Jiao Y (2016) Mechanism of the mudstone tunnel failures induced by expansive clay minerals. Geotech Geol Eng 35:263–275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-016-0102-y
Zhong ZB, Li AH, Deng RG, Wu PP, Xu J (2019) Experimental study on the time-dependent swelling characteristics of red-bed mudstone in Central Sichuan. Chin J Rock Mech Eng 38(1):76–86. https://doi.org/10.13722/j.cnki.jrme.2018.0861
Zhu DF, Tu SH, Ma HS, Zhang XW (2017) A 3D Voronoi and subdivi sion model for calibration of rock properties. Modell Simul Mater Sci Eng 25(8):085005. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-651X/aa8f19
Acknowledgements
This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42172308) and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS (No. 2022331).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts 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
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Huang, K., Yu, F., Zhang, W. et al. Experimental and Numerical Simulation Study on the Influence of Gaseous Water on the Mechanical Properties of Red-Layer Mudstone in Central Sichuan. Rock Mech Rock Eng 56, 3159–3178 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-023-03228-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-023-03228-z