Acta Geodynamica et Geomaterialia

Title: APPRAISAL OF THE EFFECT OF HUMIDITY ON TRIAXIAL COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF MARL MATERIAL BY NUMERICAL MODELING
Authors: Emir Ercan and Beyhan Sunay
DOI: 10.13168/AGG.2015.0045
Journal: Acta Geodynamica et Geomaterialia, Vol. 13, No. 1 (181), Prague 2016
Full Text: PDF file (1.6 MB)
Keywords: atmospheric moisture absorption, humidity effect, marl, numerical model analysis, triaxial compressive strength
Abstract: When it's essential to conduct intact rock strength tests on saturated samples to be representative of rock mass, clay bearing rocks such as marl which might present water sensitive behavior should be carefully inspected. In the following water table study, rock samples of Tunçbilek region that tend to fracture were alternatively conditioned in a climate cabin. According to the underground mine weather information taken from Tunçbilek region, triaxial compression tests were performed on oven dried marl samples and conditioned in 60% Relative Humidity (RH), 80% RH and 90% RH at 17.6°C. Calculated values of Mohr-Coulomb and Hoek-Brown failure criteria parameters depending on triaxial test results showed inverse change which does not let evaluate rock material strength. To achieve this goal, numerical modeling analyses were used. This allowed evaluating of intact rock triaxial strength by the effect of intact rock properties on the behavior of rock mass. Finally; it was found that moisture decreased the strength of marl rock material, and conditioning by moisture diffusion is an appropriate procedure for evaluating water sensitive rocks such as marl.