A Modified Model for Predicting the Strength of Drying-Wetting Cycled Sandstone Based on the P-Wave Velocity

Zhi-Hua Xu, Guang-Liang Feng, Qian-Cheng Sun, Guo-Dong Zhang and Yu-Ming He
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Zhi-Hua Xu: National Field Observation and Research Station of Landslides in Three Gorges Reservoir Area of Yangtze River, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
Guang-Liang Feng: State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
Qian-Cheng Sun: National Field Observation and Research Station of Landslides in Three Gorges Reservoir Area of Yangtze River, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
Guo-Dong Zhang: National Field Observation and Research Station of Landslides in Three Gorges Reservoir Area of Yangtze River, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
Yu-Ming He: Hydrogeological & Engineering Geological Reconnaissance Institute of Hubei Province, Yichang 443000, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 14, 1-17

Abstract: The drying-wetting cycles caused by operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir have considerable effect on the deterioration of reservoir bank rock mass, and the degradation of reservoir rock mass by the drying-wetting cycle is becoming obvious and serious along with the periodic operation. At present, the strength of the rock prediction research mainly focuses on the uniaxial strength, and few studies consider the drying-wetting effect and confining pressure. Therefore, in this paper, typical sandstone from a reservoir bank in the Three Gorges Reservoir area is taken as the research object, while the drying-wetting cycle test, wave velocity test and strength test are carried out for the research on the strength prediction of sandstone under the action of the drying-wetting cycle. The results show that the ultrasonic wave velocity Vp of the sandstone has an exponential function relation with the drying-wetting cycle number n , and the initial stage of drying-wetting cycles has the most significant influence on the wave velocity. Under different confining pressures, the compressive strength of sandstone decreases linearly with the increase of the drying-wetting cycle numbers, and the plastic deformation increases gradually. The damage variable of the sandstone has a power function relation with the increase of drying-wetting cycle numbers. A traditional strength prediction model based on P-wave velocity was established combined with the damage theory and Lemaitre strain equivalence hypothesis; in view of the defects of the traditional strength prediction model, a modified model considering both the drying-wetting cycle number and confining pressures was proposed, where the calculated results of the modified model are closer to the test strength value, and the prediction error is obviously decreased. This indicated that the modified model considering the drying-wetting cycle number and confining pressure is reasonable and feasible.

Keywords: hydro-fluctuation belt; drying–wetting cycles; sandstone; rock strength prediction; wave velocity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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