Experimental investigation of hard rock fragmentation using a conical pick on true triaxial test apparatus

This study aims to determine the influences of confining stresses and cutting parameters on hard rock fragmentation using a conical pick. Using a true triaxial testing apparatus, single/double pick forces and static/coupled static-dynamic pick forces were applied to granite rock specimens to break them confined by biaxial, uniaxial and no lateral stress conditions. The corresponding cuttabilities were estimated and compared by the peak pick force, insertion depth and disturbance duration at rock failure and the associated failure patterns. The results showed that excavation-induced unloading and cracking, which can change the biaxial confining stress conditions into the uniaxial and decrease uniaxial confining stress level, respectively, can significantly improve the hard rock cuttability. The experimental, theoretical and regressive results indicated that the hard rock cuttability initially decreases and then increases as the level of uniaxial confining stress increased. A moderate uniaxial confining stress instead improves the rock cuttability, but a high stress level may induce rock burst triggered by conical pick penetration. Therefore, only the hard rocks under stress-free and low uniaxial confining stress conditions can be easily fragmented with high safety and efficiency, as a complete splitting failure occurs. In addition, the hard rock cuttability can be also improved by the dynamic pick disturbance and the artificial defects such as excavation-induced fractures, pre-slits and boreholes in rock mass.