Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7206742 | International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences | 2014 | 13 Pages |
Abstract
The paper examines the cracks initiation, propagation and coalescence until failure in a crystalline rock under stress states involving rock volumes varying in size, from nano (Berkovich indentation in Continuous Stiffness Measurement mode) to micro (Vickers indentation, scratching) and macro (Rockwell indentation, Rock Impact Hardness Number) scales. The experimental work was performed on a calcitic marble characterized by two different textures (xenoblastic and granoblastic). The grain boundaries microcracks were deeply studied with Focused Ion Beam-Scanning Electron Microscopy technique, innovative approach in Rock Mechanics. The experimental results show that, at the three investigation scales, the microcracks give rise to the rock failure with fractures propagation mechanisms varying with the microstructure. In the granoblastic texture, fracturing is ruled by grain boundaries microcracks, which often appear almost open. Conversely, the fracture behavior of the xenoblastic marble seems dominated by the grains cleavage, even at the macroscale.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
Authors
Annalisa Bandini, Paolo Berry Paolo Berry, Edoardo Bemporad, Marco Sebastiani, Didier Chicot,