Test of subcritical crack growth and fracture toughness under water-rock interaction in three types of rocks

Abstract

The subcritical crack growth and fracture toughness in peridotite, lherzolite and amphibolite were investigated with double torsion test. The results show that water-rock interaction has a significant influence on subcritical crack growth. With water-rock interaction, the crack velocity increases, while the stress intensity factor declines, which illustrates that water-rock interaction can decrease the strength of rocks and accelerate the subcritical crack growth. Based on Charlse theory and Hilling & Charlse theory, the test data were analyzed by regression and the correlation coefficients were all higher than 0.7, which shows the correlation is significant. This illustrates that both theories can explain the results of tests very well. Therefore, it is believed that the subcritical crack growth attributes to the breaking of chemical bond, which is caused by the combined effect of the tensile stress and the chemical reaction between the material at crack tip and the corrosive agent. Meanwhile, water-rock interaction has a vital effect on fracture toughness. The fracture toughness of samples under atmospheric environment is higher than that of samples immersed in water. And water-rock interaction has larger influence on fracture toughness in amphibolite than that in peridotite and lherzolite.

Keywords

subcritical crack growth / fracture toughness / double torsion test / water-rock interaction / peridotite / lherzolite / amphibolite

References

[1] DasS, ScholzC H. Theory of time-dependent rupture in the earth [J]. Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 1981, 86: 6039-6051

[2] AtkinsonB K. Subcritical crack probagation in rock: Theory, experimental results and applications [J]. Journal of Structural Geology, 1982, 4: 41-56

[3] MeredithP G, AtkinsonB K. Stress corrosion and acoustic emission during tensile crack propagation in Whin Sill dolerite and other basic rocks [J]. Geophysical Journal Royal Astronomical Society, 1983, 75: 1-21

[4] MartinR JIII, DurhamW B. Mechanisms of crack growth in quartz [J]. Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 1975, 80: 4837-4844

[5] NaraY, KanekoK. Study of subcritical crack growth in andesite using the double torsion test [J]. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2005, 42: 521-530

[6] NaraY, HiroyoshiN, YonedaT, KanekoK. Effect of temperature and relative humidity on subcritical crack growth in igneous rock [J]. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2010, 47: 640-646

[7] NaraY, MorimotoK, YonedaT, HiroyoshiN, KanekoK. Effects of humidity and temperature on subcritical crack growth in sandstone [J]. International Journal of Solids and Structures, 2011, 48: 1130-1140

[8] MagnenetV, AuvrayC, GiraudA, HomandF. Experimental and numerical study of sub-critical crack growth in Meuse/Haute-Marne argillite [J]. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 2011, 36: 1867-1871

[9] NaraY, MorimotoK, HiroyoshiN, YonedaT, KanekoK, BensonP M. Influence of relative humidity on fracture toughness of rock: Implications for subcritical crack growth [J]. International Journal of Solids and Structures, 2012, 49: 2471-2481

[10] AtkinsonB K. Subcritical crack growth in geological materials [J]. Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 1984, 89: 4077-4114

[11] MerlijnW, SpengenV. Static crack growth and fatigue modeling for silicon MEMS [J]. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 2012, 182: 57-68

[12] DascaluC, FrncoisB, KeitaO. A two-scale model for subcritical damage propagation [J]. International Journal of Solids and Structures, 2010, 47: 493-502

[13] FreimanS W. Effects of chemical environments on slow crack growth in glasses and ceramics [J]. Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 1984, 89: 4072-4076

[14] AtkinsonB K, MeredithP C. The theory of subcritical crack growth with applications to minerals and rocks [C]. Fracture Mechanics of Rock, 1987, London, Academic Press: 111-166

[15] YangHuiStudy on fracture mechanism of multi-crack in rock mass under water-rock interaction [D], 2010, Changsha, Central South University: 81-82

[16] BrantutN, HeapM J, MeredithP G, BaudP. Time-dependent cracking and brittle creep in crustal rocks: A review [J]. Journal of Structural Geology, 2013, 52: 17-43

[17] FatmaR, AnjaR, DagK D, FrancoisR. Effect of fluid salinity on subcritical crack propagation in calcite [J]. Tectonophysics, 2012, 583: 68-75

[18] KiesJ A, ClarkA B J. Fracture propagation rates and times to fail following proof stress in bulk glass [C]. Proceeding of 11th International Conference on Composite Fracture, 1969, London, Chapman and Hall: 42-1-42-7

[19] EvansA G. A method for evaluating the time-dependent failure characteristics of brittle materials and its application to polycrystalline alumina [J]. Journal of Materials Science, 1972, 7: 1137-1146

[20] CiccottiM, NegriN, GonzatoG, MulargiaF. Practical application of an improved methodology for the double torsion load relaxation method [J]. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2001, 38(4): 569-576

[21] SaadaouiM, ReynaudP, FantozziG, PeronnetT, CasparJ P. Slow crack growth study of plaster using the double torsion method [J]. Ceramics International, 2000, 26(4): 435-439

[22] CiccottiM, GonzatoG, MulargiaF. The double torsion loading configuration for fracture propagation: An improved methodology for the load-relaxation at constant displacement [J]. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2000, 37(7): 1103-1113

[23] YuanH-p, CaoP, ZhouZ-yi. Testing study of subcritical crack growth of ore in Jinchuan Mine [J]. Journal of Central South University: Science and Technology, 2006381-384

[24] HyunwookK, ManfredN P. Development of a double-torsion fracture test to predict channelized crack behaviors of asphalt concrete [J]. Construction and Building Materials, 2012694-700

[25] YuX-zhongFracture mechanics of rock and concrete [M], 1991, Changsha, Central South University of Technology Press

[26] AtkinsonB K. Fracture toughness of Tennessee sandstone and Canam marble using the double torsion, testing method [J]. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci & Geomech Abstr, 1979, 16(1): 49-53

[27] LuoLiThe study of subcritical crack growth and fracture toughness using double torsion test [D], 1988, Changsha, Central South University of Technology

[28] CiccottiM, NegriN, SassiL, GonzatoG, MulargiaF. Elastic and fracture parameters of etna, stromboli, and vulcano lava rocks [J]. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 2000, 98(2): 209-217

[29] MckinneyK R, SmithH L. Method of studying subcritical cracking of opaque materials [J]. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 1973, 56(1): 30-32

[30] LiJ-mingPrinciple of statistics [M], 2010, Shanghai, Fudan University Press