Behaviour of Multicomponent Geomaterials: Pilot Experimental Study in Rock Mechanics

Rock massifs traditionally used for the construction of foundations, tunnels or as a source of crushed stone, frequently contain compositionally (texturally, mineralogically, geochemically) contrasting inclusions - xenoliths. The presence of xenoliths is a commonly overlooked fact which may, however, significantly affect the total strength of the massifs. The most frequent xenoliths in igneous massifs are mafic microgranular enclaves occurring as ellipsoidal inclusions with the size varying from centimetre to metre scales in the host rocks. Our pilot experimental study brings a complex assessment of strength properties (e.g., rebound hardness, uniaxial compressive strength, rock tensile strength) of multicomponent geomaterials, i.e., host-rocks and their enclaves, sampled both from quartz-rich (granitoid) and quartz-poor (syenitoid) massifs.