CIVL 2002 Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics

Brazilian Test
NG KWOK CHAK (3035009926)
3/26/2014

CIVL 2002

Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics

OBJECTIVE

To determine the uniaxial tensile strength of prepared rock specimens indirectly by the Brazil Test.

Figure 1

INTRODCTION

The justification for the test is based on the experimental fact that the most rocks in biaxial stress fields fail in tension at their uniaxial tensile strength. Compression Load
Cracking

Tension

Tension

Compression Load

Figure 2

CIVL 2002

Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics

APPARATUS DGM loading machine It has a control panel showing the instantaneous applied load. At the moment when the rock specimen fails, one of the pointers will stop showing the failure compressive load (Fig. 3). This is the apparatus where the specimens are mounted (Figure 4). It is used to measure the diameter and thickness of each rock specimen (Figure 5). They are used for wrapping the periphery of the rock specimens to reduce contact irregularities. They are also used to prevent the specimens from breaking into pieces after failure, so that the failure plane can be observed (Figure 6).

Steel Loading Jaws

Electronic Calipers

Masking Tape

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

THEORY The tensile strength of a material is a measure of its ability to resist uniaxial tensile loads without yielding or fracture. A direct-pull uniaxial test is difficult to apply to rock as rock does not fail in tension in in situ condition. Therefore, indirect test is preferred to determine tensile strength. The Brazilian test, where a disc of the test material is loaded across a diameter, is often employed. The figure below illustrates the principle of the test and Equation 1 is used to calculate the equivalent tensile strength (T*).

CIVL 2002

Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics

Figure 7

Figure 8

Basically, the technique involves loading disc-shaped specimens in compression across their diameter. Such loading generates a tensile stress at the center of the disc in a direction perpendicular to the direction of applied load (in the plane of the disc face) due Poisson effect. When the applied load reaches a critical level, the disc splits lengthwise in tension. Apparent tensile strength is calculated using the following equation:

where T0* is the tensile strength, P is the maximum compressive load recorded during the test, D is the diameter, and t is the thickness of the test specimen. By figure 8, the stress acting of the disc either on the vertical or horizontal axis passing through the centre is shown. Although the compressive stress added on the vertical axis is larger than the tensile stress acting along the horizontal axis, the tensile strength is smaller than one third of the compressive strength of the rock makes the rock fails in tension. Notes: 1. Only the small circular disc of rock would be used (but D is not less than 50 mm) in the Brazilian Test to ensure the rock specimen to be an intact rock and relatively free from cracks and joints. 2. The ration between D and t is about 2: 1. 3. The disc circumference should be wrapped in masking tape. 4. The rock specimen should be loaded at in constant rate, 200N/s is recommended, so that the specimen within a reasonable time.

CIVL 2002

Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics

There are two possible modes of failure: 1. Axial splitting along vertical failure 2. Shear and crushing failure at loading

Figure 9

Figure 10

Ideally, there should be only one contact point for loading. However, if the disc is under a large loading, contact part would be flattened such that the contact point for loading would be more than one. For some cases , the shear and crushing failure would happen instead, whereas the loading at failure is much smaller than the tensile strength of the rock.

PROCEDURE 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Specimens are cut and prepared under clean water. Specimens are wrapped with masking tape. Diameter and thickness of specimens are measured 3 times. Line across diameter is marked on each specimen. Mount on jaws with axis of rotation Each specimen is loaded at 200N/s Record failure compressive load.

DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE Lithological description 8 rock specimens have been tested in this experiment. Specimens 13-16 were tested by our group (Group O) whereas specimens 9-12 are tested by another group, Group P. In general, all the specimens are very similar in appearance and their properties are as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. The rocks are grey in colour with white pattern No visible cracks are observed No weathering is observed on the surface The grains cannot be identified easily by naked eyes

Remarks: For Specimen 14, it seems to have a joint, which is perpendicular to the pen.
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CIVL 2002

Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics

RESULTS a) Dimension of Specimens and Tensile Strength By the Equation,

t
The data of our group (Group O):

2P 0.636 P Dt Dt

CIVL 2002

Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics

The data of Group P:

b) Mode of failure Axial Failure

Figure 11

CIVL 2002

Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics

Figure 12

For the specimen 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, they almost got pure axial failure. It can be observed that they split along the plane of applied compressive force as the pencil line illustrated. Shear and crushing failure

Figure 13

Figure 14

CIVL 2002

Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics

Figure 15

For the specimen 13, 14, 16, they failed in a mixing failure mode with both of axial and shear factors. It is observed that these specimen as a relative low ultimate tensile strength. The reason for the specimen that can`t get the perfect axial failure may due to the multi-point contact suffer the compressive force when it was nearly to fail. As it is observed, most specimens are not a perfect circle as it did before the experiment, especially for the contact position. It also might due to their composition difference, such as different grain size and grain arrangement. Average Tensile Strength As the Experiment is based on the assumption of specimen in axial tensile failure, only the data of specimen 9, 10, 11, 12 and 15 are taken for the calculation of the tensile strength for the intact rock the specimen. Average Tensile Strength = (10.603+9.937+10.094+7.927+7.78012)/5= 9.269 MPa

DISCUSSION, SUGGESTI ON, COMMENT a) Comment on preparation of rock specimen As observed, the rock specimens used in this experiment have smooth and straight sides and there are no observable tool marks on the surface of the specimens. Furthermore, all the diameters of the specimens are greater than 60 mm which fits our requirement that the specimens should be larger than 50 mm. The thickness of the specimen is about the 51% of the diameter which is very close to the 50% suggested. To sum up, the rock specimens are generally well prepared and agree with the instructions.

CIVL 2002

Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics

b) Discussion to the discrepancy of test result among different specimens From the results of the Brazil test, the tensile strengths of the specimens range from 5.603MPa to 10.603MPa. The large deviation may due to the following reasons: 1. Rock is heterogeneous in nature. Also, it is an aggregation of aggregates of more than one minerals rather than a single material. As a result, even the specimens are taken from the same rock mass, the rock specimens may vary in physical properties. The assumptions that the rock specimens are intact and relatively free from cracks and joints or other discontinuities might not be true for all specimens as some might have discontinuities, like joints and fissures. The defect would weaken the strength of the rock, or make the rock easier to be deformed such that the shear and crushing failure would happen instead. The contact between the specimen and jaws was not perfectly point contact as assumed in the derivation of the formula. The decision in choosing the centre line for loading would be crucial to the test result, as a good decision would reduce the impact of discontinuities such as choosing the line perpendicular to them.

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As the test result would deviate a lot among different specimens, it would be suggested to show the test result by giving the range. By considering the specimens fail by tensile stress mainly, the range of the tensile strength would be 7.78 10.60 MPa. c) Source of error 1. The crack initiation load is usually smaller that the peak load because the test does not ensure crack initiation occurs at maximum tensile stress. A 4-point-beam test or 3-pointbeam test should be used instead to ensure crack initiation is accompanied by peak load. It is often, however, difficult to obtain an intact rock beam sample from nature. Induction of the tensile stress is hindered as the masking tape is confining the specimen. In other words, compressive stress is induced by the masking tape and true induced tensile stress cannot be revealed. The compressive load may be subjected to eccentricity due to technical problems of the loading machine or imperfect steel jaws manufacturing. As friction was present within the hydraulic ram of the loading machine, the indicated load was likely to be higher than the actual applied load.
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CIVL 2002

Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics

d) Remarks 1. The reason for using clean water for cutting the specimens is to prevent the heat generated during cutting would affect the properties of rock. Regarding this issue, using the high pressure waterjet cutting would be even better as no heat would be generated during the process. The masking tape is used to wrapped the sample for better observation of the crack or splitting when the rock fail, however, if the experiments are done for a better result of the tensile strength, no masking tape should be used. If failure involves cracking, crushing or splitting perpendicular to or at an oblique angle to the line of loading, the test of that rock specimen should be rejected. Sample anisotropy in the form of foliation, bedding, etc, should be noted with respect to the direction of loading. It is known that the specimen might deform during compression and the point of load application would be more than one. I would suggest having the specimens little bit elliptical and the stress applied along the major axis of the ellipse, as the ellipse is supposed to deform to a circle first which help to maintain the one point of contact. The suggestion can be reviewed by doing the same set of experiment again except the specimens used as elliptical instead. If the deviation of the test results is smaller, the suggestion seems to be constructive. However, it should be reminded that if the elliptical specimens are used instead the relationship between applied load and the tensile strength would be changed.

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CONCLUSION The average tensile strength of the specimens is 9.27 MPa and the range is 7.78 10.60 MPa. It is found that the variation of the test result is quite large as the measured tensile strength would be affected by various factors, such as presence of discontinuity, the arrangement of the aggregates, the decision of centre line for applying stress etc. REFERENCE 1. Charles Jaegar, Rock Mechanics & Engineering, 2nd Edition 1979, Cambridge University Press; 2. Stagg & Zienkiewiez, Rock Mechanics in Engineering Practice, John Wiley & Sons Limited; Richard E. Goodman, Introduction to Rock Mechanics, 2nd Edition

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