Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Experimental study on formation mechanism of compaction bands in weathered rocks with high porosity

  • Published:
Science China Technological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Since Mollema and Antonellini observed compaction bands in the field in 1996, different patterns of compaction bands have been found in laboratory experiments. There are some discrepancies between the laboratory experiments and the field observations: compared to the field observation, the stress levels required to induce compaction bands in laboratory experiments are usually higher than the inferred in the field, and the grain crushing are more intense in the laboratory experiments. In this paper, compaction bands were observed at the maximal principal stresses below 8 MPa, which is lower than the stress level inferred in the field, and there was no severe comminution inside the compaction bands. Experimental results indicate that the porosity and confining pressure have great impacts on the types of localization bands. Lower porosity and confining pressure can promote the growth of shear bands and high-angle shear bands. Higher porosity and confining pressure can promote the growth of discrete compaction bands. Intermediate porosity and confining pressure are favorable for the growth of hybrid modes involving two of the three, i.e., discrete compaction band, diffuse compaction band and high-angle shear band. The formation of discrete compaction bands is more unstable compared to diffuse compaction bands. The two types of compaction bands can appear in the same type rocks, and diffuse compaction bands are formed under lower confining pressure compared to discrete compaction bands. The reduction of permeability was within 2 orders of magnitude in this study, and it is 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than those obtained by other researchers.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Mollema P N, Antonellini M A. Compaction bands: A structural analog for anti-mode I cracks in Aeolian sandstone. Tectonophysics, 1996, 267: 209–228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Baud P, Klein E, Wong T F. Compaction localization in porous sandstones: Spatial evolution of damage and acoustic emission activity. J Struct Geol, 2004, 26: 603–624

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Holcomb D, Rudnicki J W, Issen K A, et al. Compaction localization in the Earth and the laboratory: State of the research and research directions. Acta Geotech, 2007, 2: 1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Wong T F, Baud P. Grain crushing, pore collapse and strain localization in porous sandstone. Mechanics of Natural Solids. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, 2009. 239–254

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  5. Olsson W A. Theoretical and experimental investigation of compaction bands in porous rock. J Geophys Res, 1999, 104: 7219–7228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Olsson W A, Holcomb D J. Compaction localization in porous rock. Geophys Res Lett, 2000, 27: 3537–3540

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Wong T F, Baud P, Klein E. Localized failure modes in a compactant porous rock. Geophys Res Lett, 2001, 28: 2521–2524

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Haimson B C. Borehole breakouts in Berea sandstone reveal a new fracture mechanism. Pure Appl Geophys, 2003, 160: 813–831

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Haimson B, Kovacich J. Borehole instability in high-porosity Berea sandstone and factors affecting dimensions and shape of fracture-like breakouts. Eng Geol, 2003, 69: 219–231

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Haimson B. Fracture-like borehole breakouts in high-porosity sandstone: Are they caused by compaction bands?. Phys Chem Earth, 2001, 26: 15–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Haimson B, Lee H. Borehole breakouts and compaction bands in two high-porosity sandstones. Int J Rock Mech Min, 2004, 41: 287–301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Fôrtin J, Sanchits S, Dresen G, et al. Acoustic emission and velocities associated with the formation of compaction bands in sandstone. J Geophys Res, 2006, 111: B10203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Wong T F, Baud P. Mechanical compaction of porous sandstone. Oil Gas Sci Technol, 1999, 54: 715–727

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Townend E, Thompson B D, Benson P M, et al. Imaging compaction band propagation in Diemelstadt sandstone using acoustic emission locations. Geophys Res Lett, 2008, 35: L15301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Stanchits S, Fortin J, Gueguen Y, et al. Initiation and propagation of compaction bands in dry and wet Bentheim sandstone. Pure Appl Geophys, 2009, 166: 843–868

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Charalampidou E M, Hall S A, Stanchits S, et al. Characterization of shear and compaction bands in a porous sandstone deformed under triaxial compression. Tectonophysics, 2011, 503: 8–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Holcomb D J, Olsson W A. Compaction localization and fluid flow. J Geophys Res, 2003, 108: B62290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Vajdova V, Baud P, Wong T F. Permeability evolution during localized deformation in Bentheim sandstone. J Geophys Res, 2004, 109: B10406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Sternlof K R, Rudnicki J W, Pollard D D. Anticrack inclusion model for compaction bands in sandstone. J Geophys Res, 2005, 110: B11403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Klein E, Baud P, Reuschle T, et al. Mechanical behavior and failure mode of Bentheim sandstone under triaxial compression. Phys Chem Earth, 2001, 26: 21–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Vajdova V, Wong T F. Incremental propagation of discrete compaction bands: acoustic emission and microstructural observations on circumferentially notched samples of Bentheim sandstone. Geophys Res Lett, 2003, 30: 1775

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Tembe S, Vajdova V, Wong T F, et al. Initiation and propagation of strain localization in circumferentially notched samples of two porous sandstones. J Geophys Res, 2006, 111: B02409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Loaiza S, Fortin J, Schubnel A. Mechanical behavior and localized failure modes in a porous basalt from the Azores. Geophys Res Lett, 2012, 39: L19304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Schultz R A, Soliva R. Propagation energies inferred from deformation bands in sandstone. Int J Fract, 2012, 176: 135–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Tembe S, Baud P, Wong T F. Stress conditions for the propagation of discrete compaction bands in porous sandstone. J Geophys Res, 2008, 113: B09409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Bqxevqnis T, Papamichos E, Flornes O, et al. Compaction bands and induced permeability reduction in Tuffeau de Maastricht Calcarenite. Acta Geotech, 2006, 1: 123–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Rudnicki J W. Models for compaction band propagation. In: Rock Physics and Geomechanics in the Study of Reservoirs and Repositories. London: Geological Society of London Special Publication, 2007. 284

    Google Scholar 

  28. Zhu W, Wong T F. The transition from brittle faulting to cataclastic flow: Permeability evolution. J Geophys Res, 1997, 102: 3027–3041

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Cheung C S N, Baud P, Wong T F. Effect of grain size distribution on the development of compaction localization in porous sandstone. Geophys Res Lett, 2012, 39: L21302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Sun W, Andrade J E, Rudnicki J W, et al. Connecting microstructural attributes and permeability from 3D tomographic images of in situ shear-enhanced compaction bands using multiscale computations. Geophys Res Lett, 2011, 38: L10302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Ballas G, Soliva R, Sizun J P, et al. Shear-enhanced compaction bands formed at shallow burial conditions; implications for fluid flow (Provence, France). J Struct Geol, 2013, 47: 3–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Meredith P, Baud P, Heap M J. et al. Influence of compaction bands and stylolites on the permeability of porous rocks. In: Flows and Mechanics in Natural Porous Media from Pore to Field Scale. Pore2Field. France: IFP Energies nouvelles, 2011

    Google Scholar 

  33. Louis L, Baud P, Wong T F. Compaction localization in high porosity sandstones with various degrees of heterogeneity: insight from X-ray computed tomography. In: ROCKEN09: Proceedings of the 3rd CANUS Rock Mechanics Symposium. Toroto, 2009

    Google Scholar 

  34. Katsman R, Aharonov E, Scher H. Numerical simulation of compaction bands in high porosity sedimentary rock. Mech Mater, 2005, 37: 143–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Wang B, Chen Y, Wong T F. Adiscrete element model for the development of compaction localization in granular rock. J Geophys Res, 2008, 113: B03202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Louis L, Wong T F, Baud P, et al. Imaging strain localization by Xray computed tomography: discrete compaction bands in Diemelstadt sandstone. J Struct Geol, 2006, 28: 762–775

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Pons A, David C, Fortin J, et al. X-ray imaging of water motion during capillary imbibition: A study on how compaction bands impact fluid flow in Bentheim sandstone. J Geophys Res, 2011, 116: B03205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Charalampidou E M, Hall S A, Stanchits S, et al. Shear-enhanced compaction band identification at the laboratory scale using acoustic and full-field methods. Int J Rock Mech Min, 2013, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2013.05.006i

    Google Scholar 

  39. Schultz R A. Relationship of compaction bands in Utah to Laramide fault-related folding. Earth Planet Sc Lett, 2011, 304: 29–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Chemenda A I. Origin of compaction bands: Anti-cracking or constitutive instability?. Tectonophysics, 2011, 499: 156–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    GuoFeng Han, XiaoLi Liu & EnZhi Wang

  2. Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    GuoFeng Han

Authors
  1. GuoFeng Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. XiaoLi Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. EnZhi Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to GuoFeng Han.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Han, G., Liu, X. & Wang, E. Experimental study on formation mechanism of compaction bands in weathered rocks with high porosity. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 56, 2563–2571 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-013-5322-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-013-5322-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation