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Assessing the effect of grain size or anisotropy on the correlated equations between uniaxial compressive strength and point load test

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Abstract

Uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) is a critical rock mechanical parameter. Conventional UCS measurement is cumbersome and the point load test is widely used to estimate UCS. The correlations between UCS and point load index (Is(50)) are grain size or anisotropy-dependent. To direct using Is(50) to estimate UCS for heterogeneous rock, the effect of grain size or anisotropy on the equations of UCS-Is(50) was respectively investigated using sandstone (fine or coarse grain size) and gneiss (0°, 45°, 90° inclined anisotropy) samples. Based on the regression analysis, power or linear functions of UCS-Is(50) can be derived from rocks with different heterogeneous characteristics. For the samples with coarse grain size or 45° inclined anisotropy, both the UCS and Is(50) data show high discreteness and an inferior correlated degree. No significant correlation of UCS-Is(50) can be obtained from samples with vertical anisotropy. The accuracy of estimated UCS weakens substantially when rock contains different grain size magnitudes. Meanwhile, a similar phenomenon can be observed from the gneiss containing multidirectional anisotropy. Although the 45° inclined anisotropy deteriorates the correlated degree of UCS-Is(50), the UCS estimated capability can be immune from this effect. Moreover, using the empirical equations ignoring grain size or anisotropy can result in considerable discrepancies of estimated UCS. It is thus suggested to present point load test on fine- and coarse-grained rocks respectively for predicting UCS. For the rocks with visible anisotropy, point load test loaded parallel to the anisotropy is invalid in the UCS estimation.

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Funding

The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 41877239, 51379112, 51422904, 40902084, and 41772298), Fundamental Research Fund of Shandong University (grant number 2018JC044), and Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (grant numbers JQ201513 and 2019GSF111028).

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  1. Yiguo Xue and Fanmeng Kong contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Bei**g), Bei**g, 100083, China

    Yiguo Xue & Fanmeng Kong

  2. Geotechnical and Structural Engineering Research Center, Shandong University, **an, 250061, China

    Yiguo Xue, Fanmeng Kong, Daohong Qiu, Huimin Gong & Zexu Ning

Authors
  1. Yiguo Xue
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  2. Fanmeng Kong
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  3. Daohong Qiu
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  4. Huimin Gong
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  5. Zexu Ning
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Contributions

Y. Xue: conceptualization; methodology; writing - original draft preparation. F. Kong: writing - original draft preparation; reviewing; editing. D. Qiu: reviewing, editing. Z. Ning: reviewing, editing. H. Gong: reviewing, editing.

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Correspondence to Yiguo Xue.

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Xue, Y., Kong, F., Qiu, D. et al. Assessing the effect of grain size or anisotropy on the correlated equations between uniaxial compressive strength and point load test. Bull Eng Geol Environ 81, 325 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-02814-9

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