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A New Rock Brittleness Index Based on the Characteristics of Complete Stress–Strain Behaviors

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Abstract

Rock brittleness is an essential mechanical property, which plays a significant role in rock classifications and rockburst risk evaluations. To overcome the problems associated with the traditional brittleness indexes not comprehensively charaterizing the rock strength and deformation behaviors, this study systematically summarized the existing rock brittleness indexes. Then, a novel brittleness index (BICSS) based on the complete stress–strain curves of rock under different confining pressures was proposed. Its advantages included innovatively considering the characteristic stresses and strains at the stage of crack initiation, the peak points, and residual points. The index also described the stress growth rates from the pre-peak crack-initiation stress to the peak stress points, as well as the stress drop rates from the peak stress to the residual stress points. This study conducted uniaxial and triaxial compression tests of metamorphic sandstone, granite, and gneiss obtained from a deeply buried long-line tunnel group. The aforementioned tests were combined with wave velocity tests and thin-section identification tests using polarizing microscopy techniques. The reliability and applicability of the index were then successfully verified. The results showed that the BICSS could not only quantify and classify the brittleness characteristics of different rock types and characterize the confining pressure inhibition behaviors of rock brittleness, but could also comprehensively express the influences of homogeneity, mineral compositions, and particle sizes on the rock brittleness. Finally, through the parameter sensitivity analysis of the BICSS, the influences of subjective errors in the results of the cracking initiation stress and strain values caused by the different selections during the linear elastic phase could be successfully excluded, resulting in the further verification of the stability of the BICSS.

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Abbreviations

\(a_{i}\) :

Weight coefficient of brittle mineral type

\(a_{j}\) :

Weight coefficient of each mineral

\(B_{i}\) :

Brittleness index

\(C\) :

Content of carbonate

\({\text{Cl}}\) :

Content of clay

\({\text{Dol}}\) :

Content of dolomite

\(E\) :

Elasticity modulus

\(K_{{{\text{ac}}}}\) :

Stress slope of the post-peak

\({\text{Lm}}\) :

Content of limestone

\(M\) :

Post-peak modulus

\(M_{i}\) :

Brittle mineral content

\(M_{j}\) :

Each mineral content

\(Q\) :

Content of quartz

\({\text{Toc}}\) :

Content of organic matter

\(W_{{{\text{el}}}}\) :

Elastic energy at the peak stress point

\(W_{{{\text{tot}}}}\) :

Total fracture energy

\(\alpha\) :

Standardized coefficients

\(\beta\) :

Standardized coefficients

\(\varepsilon_{{{\text{BRIT}}}}\) :

Peak strain

\(\varepsilon_{{{\text{ci}}}}\) :

Crack initiation strain

\(\varepsilon_{{\text{c}}}^{{\text{p}}}\) :

Plastic strain necessary for cohesion loss

\(\varepsilon_{{{\text{el}}}}\) :

Elastic strain at the pre-peak stage of stress–strain curves

\(\varepsilon_{{\text{f}}}^{{\text{p}}}\) :

Plastic strain necessary for frictional strengthening

\(\varepsilon_{{\text{m}}}\) :

Reference value of the maximum peak strain

\(\varepsilon_{{\text{n}}}\) :

Reference value of the minimum peak strain

\(\varepsilon_{{\text{p}}}\) :

Peak compressive strain

\(\varepsilon_{{\text{r}}}\) :

Residual compressive strain

\(\varepsilon_{{{\text{tot}}}}\) :

Total strain at the pre-peak stage of stress–strain curves

\(\eta\) :

Standardized coefficients

\(\theta\) :

Internal friction angle

\(\mu\) :

Mean value

\(\upsilon\) :

Passion ratio

\(\rho\) :

Density

\(\sigma\) :

Standard deviation

\(\sigma_{3}\) :

Confining pressure

\(\sigma_{{\text{c}}}\) :

Uniaxial compressive strength

\(\sigma_{{{\text{ci}}}}\) :

Crack initiation stress

\(\sigma_{{\text{p}}}\) :

Peak compressive strength

\(\sigma_{{\text{r}}}\) :

Residual compressive strength

\(\sigma_{{\text{t}}}\) :

Splitting tensile strength

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the National Science Foundation of China under Grant nos. U1765206 and 41877256, the Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi (no. 2020JQ-999), and the Key Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KFZD-SW-423).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China

    Zhihao Kuang, Shili Qiu & Shaojun Li

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Zhihao Kuang

  3. China Railway Frist Survey and Design Institute Group Co. Ltd., Xi’an, 710043, Shaanxi, China

    Shihui Du, Yong Huang & Xingqiang Chen

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  1. Zhihao Kuang
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Correspondence to Shaojun Li.

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Kuang, Z., Qiu, S., Li, S. et al. A New Rock Brittleness Index Based on the Characteristics of Complete Stress–Strain Behaviors. Rock Mech Rock Eng 54, 1109–1128 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-020-02311-z

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