International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences 36 (1999) 10571063 www.elsevier.

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Technical Note

Triaxial compression tests on a granite at dierent strain rates and conning pressures
H.B. Li a, b, J. Zhao a,*, T.J. Li b
a

School of Civil and Structural Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 639798, Singapore b Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China Accepted 28 October 1999

1. Introduction Experiments have been conducted to study the eects of strain rate on rock material properties under dynamic triaxial compression [111]. The studies indicated a general trend of increase in strength with increasing strain rate. In addition, it has been observed that the rates of increase are dierent for dierent rocks and conning pressures. For example, Donath and Fruth [3] conducted dynamic triaxial compression tests on a marble at conning pressures of 100 and 200 MPa, and strain rates from 107 to 103 s1. They reported that at a conning pressure of 100 MPa, the strength increased by 30% when the strain rate increased by ve orders of magnitude, while for a conning pressure of 200 MPa, the strength increased by 40%, for the same increment of strain rate. Similarly, Logan and Handin [10] conducted dynamic triaxial compression tests on the Westerly granite at conning pressures up to 700 MPa; they found that the strength increases proportionally with increasing strain rate and the rising rate increases with increasing conning pressure. The same results were also reported by Masuda et al. [4] on a granite. However, some researchers have found that the strain rate sensitivity seems to decrease with increasing conning pressure. For example, Ju and Wu [5] showed that the strength of a tu increases by 40% and 20% under conning pressures of 0 MPa and 90 MPa respectively, while the strain rate changed from
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +65-790-5268; fax: +65-792-1650. E-mail address: cjzhao@ntu.edu.sg (J. Zhao).

105 to 101s1. Similar experimental results are reported by Sangha and Dhir [3] on a sandstone and Yang and Li [11] on a marble. This paper presents a series of dynamic triaxial compression tests on the Bukit Timah granite of Singapore. A total of 69 samples were tested at four strain rates (104, 103, 101 and 100 s1) and six conning pressures (20, 50, 80, 110, 140 and 170 MPa). Uniaxial dynamic compression tests on the same granite have been conducted and reported by Zhao et al. [14].

2. Triaxial compression test system All the tests are conducted using a dynamic testing machine reported in Zhao et al. [14]. The dynamic triaxial machine consists of four parts: a compression loading frame, an axial dynamic loading system, a triaxial conning pressure cell system and a data acquisition system. Fig. 1 illustrates the triaxial conning pressure cell system. The triaxial cell has an inner diameter of 70 mm. The cell can be used for testing rock specimens up to 30 mm in diameter and 60 mm in length. Conning pressure is applied to rock specimens through pressurised oil in the triaxial cell. It is controlled manually by a pump and valves. The cell is lled with oil through the inlet valve and gas escapes from the outlet valve. The outlet valve is then closed and the pressure in the triaxial cell is applied by pumping the oil into the cell through the inlet valve. Once the conning pressure reaches the desired value, the inlet valve is closed and the pressure is kept constant. The triaxial conning pressure cell system can produce a

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brought in contact with the specimen stack; (e) the dynamic load of desired magnitude and strain rate is applied to the specimen stack, (f) stress and strain histories, together with pressure measurements, are recorded by the data acquisition system. Descriptions of the procedures (e) and (f) can be found in Zhao et al. [14]. 4. Test results and discussions Fig. 2 shows typical stressstrain curves at dierent strain rates and conning pressures obtained from the tests. Results for the strength, Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio are interpreted from these curves and listed in Table 1. At a constant conning pressure, the triaxial compressive strength increases with increasing strain rate, as shown in Fig. 3. In addition, it is shown that the rising rates of deviator (s1s3) strength decreases with increasing conning pressures: for a conning pressure of 20 MPa, the strength increase reaches 50% when the strain rate increased by ve orders of magnitude, while, for a conning pressure of 170 MPa, the strength increase is about 5% for the same increment of strain rate. These results generally agree with the experimental observations by Sangha and Dhir [3], Ju and Wu [5], and Yang and Li [11]. At a constant strain rate, the deviator compressive strengths increase with increasing conning pressures, as shown in Fig. 4. The change of compressive strength with conning pressures under dynamic loading conditions seems to follow the same trend for a static loading condition: the strength envelope can be modelled by the Hoek-Brown criterion [15,16]. It also appears that the strength changes with conning pressure are almost independent of strain rates. Figs. 5 and 6 present the change of the Young's modulus with strain rate and conning pressures. It is noted that the results are scattered. The Young's modulus shows no conclusive trend with increasing strain rate. The Young's modulus appears to increase with increasing conning pressure, but the increment is small. Similarly, the results for the Poisson's ratio at dierent strain rates and conning pressures are scattered, as plotted in Figs. 7 and 8. The Poisson's ratio seems to increase slightly with increasing strain rate and conning pressures, but the changes are not signicant. 5. Conclusions Dynamic triaxial compression tests for the Bukit Timah granite were conducted at four strain rates (104, 103, 101 and 100 s1) and six conning press-

Fig. 1. Schematic illustration of triaxial conning pressure cell system.

hydrostatic conning pressure up to 1000 MPa. The conning pressure is measured by a pressure gauge in the triaxial cell, and recorded by the data acquisition system.

3. Test procedures Cylindrical specimens of 30 mm in diameter and 60 mm in length were prepared from granite cores. Specimens were prepared in accordance with the ISRM suggested standards [12,13]. The specimen stack, consisting of the rock specimen, sandwiched between the upper and lower steel platen, and the load cell, is placed in the triaxial cell and loaded by the conning pressure and the axial load during the test. The specimen has two axial and two circumferential strain gauges attached, as described by Zhao et al. [14]. The testing system is always calibrated before testing. Trial tests are conducted to obtain optimal values for gain, sampling data points and sampling time interval of the acquisition system at dierent strain rates and conning pressures for a specic rock. The test procedures are as follows: (a) the specimen stack is placed in the triaxial cell; (b) load cell, pressure cell and strain gauges are connected to the data acquisition system; (c) the triaxial cell is rstly lled with conning oil, and then pressurised to the desired pressure. The cell is closed and the hydrostatic pressure in the cell is kept constant; (d) the loading piston is

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ures (20, 50, 80, 110, 140, and 170 MPa). It is concluded that the compressive strength generally increases with increasing strain rate and conning pressure. The rate of increment of compressive strength with strain rate is lower at higher conning

pressures. The strength envelopes at dierent strain rate, however, appear similar. Further details are reported by Zhao [16]. The results for the Young's modulus and the Poisson's ratio at dierent strain rates and conning press-

Fig. 2. Typical stressstrain curves at dierent strain rates and conning pressures. (a) stressstrain curves at dierent strain rates; (b) stress strain curves at dierent conning pressures.

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Table 1 Results of the dynamic triaxial compressive tests Specimen no 21 48 73 78 2 60 27 20 4 18 81 95 82 79 75 74 50 80 29 58 53 63 89 17 41 3 40 59 61 15 55 92 44 37 72 67 19 39 32 42 93 77 33 84 30 76 68 56 45 64 96 6 94 43 62 85 10 11 90 22 23 36 35 31 13 34 83 86 97 Conning pressure (MPa) 20 50 80 110 140 170 20 50 80 110 140 170 20 50 80 110 140 170 20 50 80 110 140 170 Strain rate (s1) 0.62 104 0.63 104 0.57 104 0.85 104 0.93 104 0.94 104 1.18 104 0.82 104 1.91 104 0.68 104 1.75 104 1.36 104 1.17 104 1.19 104 1.64 104 1.18 104 1.02 104 1.13 104 1.14 103 1.32 103 0.87 103 1.06 103 1.02 103 1.41 103 0.71 103 1.60 103 0.98 103 0.48 103 1.64 103 1.66 103 0.48 103 1.66 103 0.73 103 0.64 103 1.51 103 0.50 101 0.74 101 1.21 101 0.86 101 0.98 101 0.86 101 0.28 101 1.11 101 0.95 101 1.53 101 1.60 101 1.24 101 0.98 101 1.54 101 1.02 101 1.25 101 1.29 101 1.14 101 1.38 100 2.38 100 1.09 100 2.92 100 0.78 100 3.13 100 2.56 100 2.35 100 4.43 100 3.43 100 3.25 100 2.09 100 3.90 100 4.68 100 4.26 100 4.13 100 s1s3 (MPa) 295.1 217.8 258.7 510.7 590.1 480.0 703.2 679.1 635.3 720.6 660.7 849.5 799.1 854.2 812.6 939.2 744.0 714.5 359.4 465.2 394.7 573.3 524.8 543.0 688.5 735.2 677.7 808.5 718.4 625.8 722.2 800.0 837.5 954.5 966.9 387.9 516.2 422.5 605.6 502.9 559.1 852.5 512.0 693.2 713.7 746.3 746.7 735.8 785.2 922.3 854.6 1009.9 872.8 412.5 554.9 468.3 598.3 692.0 621.1 726.5 759.2 874.0 755.0 796.2 794.7 828.0 857.9 870.0 879.0 Young's modulus (GPa) 76.39 72.34 87.46 70.55 74.54 73.56 66.81 83.58 60.71 64.78 69.67 91.91 68.71 88.09 75.99 76.16 69.58 68.12 65.55 74.85 45.59 85.17 61.14 63.20 79.02 64.36 78.41 85.86 51.63 87.65 79.55 72.87 74.97 69.11 69.09 61.21 66.56 71.06 70.28 73.25 63.12 88.33 64.29 72.51 64.92 63.91 72.27 77.99 65.50 67.81 67.95 75.70 77.46 73.79 87.03 69.56 87.50 79.05 71.29 77.54 85.00 72.65 67.26 71.95 57.57 69.87 61.41 64.65 62.74 Poisson's ratio 0.291 0.249 0.173 0.277 0.235 0.236 0.293 0.249 0.280 0.273 0.235 0.248 0.197 0.254 0.247 0.287 0.289 0.200 0.298 0.259 0.336 0.255 0.266 0.288 0.196 0.249 0.268 0.297 0.292 0.305 0.223 0.265 0.260 0.263 0.256 0.299 0.302 0.225 0.253 0.260 0.273 0.321 0.249 0.298 0.308 0.315 0.245 0.232 0.300 0.273 0.255 0.258 0.326 0.205 0.308 0.300 0.274 0.297 0.304 0.201 0.228 0.265 0.270 0.354 0.275 0.277 0.276 0.279 0.295

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Fig. 3. Variation of the compressive strength with the strain rate at dierent conning pressures.

Fig. 4. Variation of the compressive strength with the conning pressure at dierent strain rates.

Fig. 5. Variation of the Young's modulus with the strain rate at dierent conning pressures. (C: conning pressure).

Fig. 6. Variation of the Young' modulus with the conning pressure at dierent strain rates.

Fig. 7. Variation of the Poisson's ratio with the strain rate at dierent conning pressures. (C: conning pressure).

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Fig. 8. Variation of the Poisson's ratio with the conning pressure at dierent strain rates.

ures are scattered. The Young's modulus seems to increase slightly with increasing conning pressure, but appears to be unaected by strain rate. The Poisson's ratio seems to increase slightly with increasing strain rate and conning pressure. Further tests are needed to overcome the scattering of the results and to obtain conclusive indications on the possible changes of the Young's modulus and the Poisson's ratio.

[5] [6] [7] [8]

Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank Prof M.B. Wu, Prof Y.H. Liu, Mr J.G. Gao and Ms J.R. Li of the Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for assisting with the dynamic tests. The study was supported by the Singapore National Science and Technology Board (NSTB), research project (NSTB/17/6/11).
[9]

[10] [11]

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