Experimental investigation of the delayed behavior of unsaturated argillaceous rocks by means of Digital Image Correlation techniques

We present an experimental study on the delayed behavior of unsaturated argillaceous rocks, including shrinkage, swelling, and creep, by means of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) techniques. In order to measure the very low strain rate of the argillaceous rocks at various scales (100 μm–cm) under uniaxial compression and various environmental conditions, a specific optimized optical setup was used. The natural argillaceous rocks were hydrated or dehydrated by controlling the ambient humidity around the samples, and the obtained unsaturated samples were then subjected to creep tests at different stress levels. The mechanical response to hydration and dehydration strongly depended on the mechanical loading, which induced an additional deformation. During creep, the strain rate increased when the moisture or the applied stress increased. The strain rate at a relative humidity of 75% was about one order of magnitude larger than at a dried state (relative humidity = 25%). The anisotropy of the strain induced by the moisture and mechanical loading was enhanced over time. The time dependent behavior as observed at different scales (100 μm–cm) is discussed.

► An optical setup was used to measure the low strain of clayey rock at various scales.
► The low strain rate increased with increased stress and moisture.
► The influence of the applied stress on hydration/dehydration was notable.
► The clay mineral contributed much to the delayed behavior.
► The meso/microcracks played different roles in the time dependent behavior.