Effect of petrographic characteristics on uniaxial compressive strength of granitic rocks from Xinjiang, China

Abstract

The petrographic characteristics of rocks are the determining factors affecting their mechanical properties. This study aims to intensively assess the effect degree of petrographic characteristics of granitic rocks on their uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and determine the dominant factors affecting the UCS. The quantification of various petrographic parameters and mechanical properties of granitic rocks located in the Altai region of Xinjiang, China, has been carried out. Seven petrographic parameters including plagioclase content, K-feldspar content, quartz content, dark-colored mineral content, crystalline degree, mean grain size and sorting coefficient, were selected to investigate the effect of petrographic characteristics on the UCS of granitic rocks. The detailed analyses of the photomicrographs of the studied samples were used to understand the influence mechanism of each petrographic parameter on the UCS. The results show that the petrographic parameters affecting the UCS mainly include quartz content, feldspar content, mean grain size and sorting coefficient. The proportion order of the petrographic parameters affecting the UCS significantly as follows: sorting coefficient > feldspar content > quartz content > mean grain size, the sorting coefficient of grain size and feldspar content are the dominant factors affecting the UCS of granitic rocks. Ultimately, the feldspar minerals play a critical role in the UCS of the studied granitic rocks and they are the primary consideration when investigating the factors affecting the UCS of granitic rocks.

Keywords

granitic rocks / petrographic characteristics / uniaxial compressive strength / grey relation analysis / photomicrograph

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