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Mechanical properties of rock materials with related to mineralogical characteristics and grain size through experimental investigation: a comprehensive review

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Abstract

Mechanical properties of rock materials are related to textural characteristics. The relationships between mechanical properties and textural characteristics have been extensively investigated for differently types of rocks through experimental tests. Based on the experimental test data, single- and multiple- variant regression analyses are conducted among mechanical properties and textural characteristics. Textural characteristics of rock materials are influenced by the following factors: mineral composition, size, shape, and spatial distribution of mineral grains, porosity, and inherent microcracks. This study focuses on the first two: mineral composition and grain size.

This study comprehensively summarizes the regression equations between mechanical properties and mineral content and the regression equations between mechanical properties and grain size. Further research directions are suggested at the end of this study.

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Acknowledgements

The research performed in this paper was supported by Special Fund for Basic Scientific Research of Central Colleges (Funding No.: 310821151114), and Open Fund of State Key Laboratory of Disaster Reduction in Civil Engineering (SLDRCE15-03). The financial support is greatly appreciated. The authors also want to thank anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. USTB-Virginia Tech Joint Lab on Multifunctional Materials, National Center for Materials Service Safety, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China

    Wenjuan Sun

  2. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Wenjuan Sun & Linbing Wang

  3. Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Highway Bridge & Tunnel, Chang’an University, Xi’an, 710064, China

    Wenjuan Sun & Yaqiong Wang

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  1. Wenjuan Sun
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  2. Linbing Wang
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  3. Yaqiong Wang
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Correspondence to Linbing Wang.

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Sun, W., Wang, L. & Wang, Y. Mechanical properties of rock materials with related to mineralogical characteristics and grain size through experimental investigation: a comprehensive review. Front. Struct. Civ. Eng. 11, 322–328 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11709-017-0387-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11709-017-0387-9

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