Architectural Engineering November 2013, Volume 1, Issue 3, PP.

60-67

Experimental Study on Macro-micro Mechanism of the Marble during Loading Damage Process
Yu Cong a, Zaiquan Wang b, Liming Zhang c, Xiaoyu Bai d
School of Science, Qingdao Technological University, Qingdao Shandong 266033, China Email: acuncin@163.com, bzqwang4521@163.com, cdryad_274@163.com, dbaixiaoyu538@163.com

Abstract
The deformation and fracture of rock mass are processes along with dissipation and release of energy, acoustic emission. With the aim to explore failure mechanism of loading, the loading tests of marble specimens have been carried out. Combined with a variety of analysis methods, such as energy, acoustic emission, discrete element, the damage process of marble has been discussed. The present results show that under loading process, the growth rate of axial energy could not maintain its level till the failure occurs, and the curve of total energy-strain appears an inflection point corresponding to the peak of curve of stress-strain. Acoustic emission event has warning signs before the loading fracture, and acoustic emission count rate is obviously growing. While the failure occurs, count rate is maximum, accumulated acoustic appears an inflection point obviously. The direction of accumulation of shear failure is similar to the developing tendency of failure surface, under loading failure process, and shear failure is a process of accumulation, failure and accumulation along with failure of compression. The loading specimen is based solely on failure of compression, and cracks of compression are in domination. Keywords: Axial Energy; Gross Energy; Acoustic Emission; Marble; Crack

1 INTRODUCTION
Rocky material is a kind of porous medium material between continuum medium and discontinuous medium, with unique physical mechanical property. It obviously shows characteristics of particle agglomeration under microscopic perspective of microscope. Along with extension of human engineering activities, failure mechanism of the material is urgently needed to be recognized. The methods, such as energy, acoustic emission, discrete element simulation, are further applied to study failure mechanism. Li et al. [4] analyzed characteristics of acoustic emission in rock failure process under uniaxial compression, such as granite, diabase, limestone, ore, schist. V. A. mansurov [5] systematically discussed acoustic characteristics of different types of rock. Wu et al. [6] analyzed acoustic characteristics of three types of unloading way under triaxial stress state. Liu et al. [7] discussed failure mechanism of intermittent jointed rock mass under direct shear loading conditions, by discrete element numerical simulation of revolution process of stress with shear strain of intermittent joint surface. M. Cai [8,9] researched peak and residual strength of joint rock with PFC2D, quantitatively analysed damage of jointed rock caused by microseism under the process of underground excavation. The results that discrete element is widely used in the field of rock failure mechanism, fully show its application feasibility. Due to the constraints of current technology, difficulty in understanding destroying process still exists, though the existing achievements have promoted the research of evolution mechanism on material damage, but at the same time the research with combinations of several analysis methods is rare. Loading under confining pressure tests of HE-NAN marble has been performed in this article, and damage process of marble is analyzed from the point of macro perspective of laboratory experiments with methods of energy, acoustic emission et al, at the same time reproduced by discrete element simulations, analyzed from the point of microscopic angle of numerical experiment. The loading evolutionary process is analyzed with combinations of macro-micro methods, and results provide
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reference for research of rock material failure mechanism.

2 PRINCIPLE
Energy is understood as the ability of a physical system to do work on other physical system, while work is equal to force times the distance through which the forces acts. Deformation and failure process of rock is associated with accumulation and release of energy. Energy analysis of laboratory experiments mainly represents strain energy. The axial energy is absorbed by rock samples, that is, axial work of test machine to rock samples: Eaxial=1d1 In the above formula, 1 means axial stress, 1 means axial strain. Total energy actually absorbed by rock samples under triaxial stress state: Etotal==1d1+23d3

In the above formula, 3 means confining pressure, 3 means circumferential strain, if it is positive, it means compressed. As supplement of laboratory experiments, energy analysis of numerical experiments discusses absorption and dissipation of energy during destruction process from microscopic view. Boundary energy is equal to the product of the boundary forces and displacement, the sum of the energy of loading system acting on the samples. Bond energy is work overcoming the bond force between particles; while friction energy is equal to the product of the friction force and displacement; Kinetic energy is energy of particle motion; strain energy means stress times strain. The process of deformation and failure of rock is process of microcracks inside rocks producing, expanding and breaking. In this process phenomenon that releasing strain energy in the way of elastic wave is called acoustic emission [1]. Acoustic emission of rock is directly related to producing of micro fracture inside. In the numerical experiments, if linking strength between particles in the rock sample has been set in advance, in the condition of shear (or normal) stress exceeding or corresponding to the linking strength, under the loading function, links between particles will fracture, causing acoustic emission at a time.

3 TESTING PROGRAM
3.1 Laboratory Test
Marble was taken from Zhumadian, Henan Province, with the same batch, fine grained texture, uniform fine texture, density is on or about 2500 kg/m3. According to international rock mechanics testing requirements, marble was processed into cylinder in the laboratory, diameter 50 mm, height 100 mm, carefully grinding on both ends. In order to reduce the discreteness of testing, two steps screening before testing: first, reject rock sample with joint obviously, then wave speed of rock samples selected is about 4500 m/s. The loading test of marble completed on MTS815.02 electro-hydraulic servo rock mechanics testing machine. By AE21C acoustic emission testing equipment, according to interval being set, acoustic emission events synchronization was monitored in the whole damage process. Steps: according to hydrostatic pressure conditions, exerting confining pressure to setting value (10, 20, 30, 40MPa); the confining pressure remaining unchanged, applying axial stress by displacement rate 0.003 mm/s until rock samples damage.

3.2 Numerical Experimentation

Marble loading simulation test complete on the discrete element software PFC2D, contact constitutive between particles is parallel-bond model.
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Model specimen: diameter 50 mm; height 100 mm; grain density 2527 kg/m3; the minimum radius of particle 0.3 mm. The appropriate micro-parameters were debugged based on macro-parameter of laboratory tests: intergranular contact modulus 32 GPa; parallel-bond elastic modulus 25 GPa, mean value of parallel-bond normal strength 60 MPa, mean value of parallel-bond shear strength 70 MPa; intergranular friction coefficient 0.4. Steps: same as steps of laboratory experiment.

4 ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS

4.1 Evolution Process of Stress
Macro stress-strain relation directly reflects macro parameter evolution rule of laboratory experiment of marble.

(a)

(b)

FIG. 1 CURVES OF AXIAL STRESS-STRAIN: (a) LABORATORY EXPERIMENT AND (b) NUMERICAL SIMULATION

Segment BC is elastic stage, the corresponding stress is yield strength in point C, point B is the special point in the process of compression, segment AB is called compaction area, segment BC fully elastic stage, as shown in Fig.1 (a). Segment BC is created by tiny cracks or joint surface pressure of rock sample, the deformation characteristics of segment PA are described by two elastic coefficients, elastic modulus E and poissons ratio , as shown in Fig.1 (b). There are some differences in elastic segment between laboratory experiments and numerical experiments, major reason: micro-fractures of marble internal primitive existed cause load increasing, deformation parameters of test specimen changing, on the contrary, internal of numerical samples are relatively uniform. Specific results, table 1. Past-peak of test specimen, carrying capacity is decreasing with the increment of strain, stepping into the stage of strain softening, until sample damage, as showed in the segment DE and EF. The rate of change of segment EF is higher than segment in Fig.1 (b), shows that specimens suddenly appear the trend of failure in the laboratory experiments, while internal particles of test specimens of numerical experiments distribute homogeneously, less violent destruction, after failure specimens appear plastic flow, strength no longer slowed down, as shown in Fig.1. In the view of evolution of stress and specific data, the results of laboratory experiments and numerical simulations are basically consistent; the last one could be used as a complement of the first one.
TABLE 1 EXPERIMENT DATA

test Elasticity modulus/GPa Poisson ratio cohesion/MPa Friction angle/ Confining pressure 10MPa Confining pressure 20MPa Peak of axial stress/MPa Confining pressure 30MPa Confining pressure 40MPa

Laboratory experiment 27.17 0.20 28.74 21.84 110 133 149 169

Numerical simulations 27.39 0.21 28.25 22.02 109 132 150 169

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4.2 Failure Mode

Failure mode of loading test specimens is shear forms. As shown in Fig.2 (a), parts of color yellow represents failure of compression and color black represents failure of tension and shear, if there are no instructions, color yellow and black represents same meaning in the below figure of damage of numerical simulation.

(a)

(b)

FIG. 2 FAILURE MODE OF LOADING TEST: (A) NUMERICAL SIMULATION AND (B) LABORATORY EXPERIMENT

In the figure loading failure form of sample is under the condition of 10 MPa confining pressure, rock of laboratory experiments appears shear failure, as shown in Fig.2 (b), angle of main failure surface damage is about 61 , there are multiple fractures near the main damage surface, but there is no obvious dislocation displacement, and a connectivity main failure surface also exists in the numerical experiments, as shown in Fig.2 (a), the angel is about 62 , fracture surface is formed by compression, failure of tension and shear also exists on the compression failure surface, and there are several secondary failure surfaces that connected with main damage surface.

4.3 Energy Response

Strain energy of laboratory experiment changes in Fig.3. Stress-strain curve of marble damage (curve I), curve of axial energy-strain (curve II), curve of total energy-strain (curve III):

FIG. 3 CURVES OF LOADING TEST WITH 10MPA CONFINING PRESSURE The meanings of point A, B, C, D, E, F in Fig.3 are the same as meanings in Fig.1.

The curve of axial energy-strain (curve II ) corresponding stage AB of compaction, increased by nonlinear parabolic, with a smaller rate of increasing, when value of energy is 0.01 MJ/m3, curve of energy II and III are essentially
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coincident, energy absorbed by rock samples is basically used for initial crack such as crack closure, friction sliding et al. The curve of axial energy-strain (curve II ) corresponding stage BC of linear elastic, the initial fracture of rock sample had been compacted, due to stress concentration, generation and propagation of micro-crack, caused a small amount of energy still consumed by rock sample, is not totally elastic genuinely, rate of growth is gradually increasing. The growth rate of curve II is gradually greater than curve III, curve II growing to 0.06 MJ/m3, curve III 0.05 MJ/M3. The curve II corresponding to stage CE, with axial stress increasing slowly and circumferential deformation increasing faster, and the phenomenon of generation and propagation macro-cracks further improved the proportion of dissipation energy in the energy distribution, segment CD of pre-peak, the curve approximately linearly increased, segment DE of past-peak, the growing rate reduced, until breakdown point E, then obviously changed, and formed a inflection point, in addition, energy of point E is 0.24 MJ/m3, and the growth rate of curve III corresponding to segment CD of pre-peak gradually reduced, thus the gap between curve III and II was further increasing until peak D, while segment DE of curve III is negative growing until point E, about 0.11 MJ/m3. After point E, circumference deformation of rock sample along with axial deformation increased rapidly, shear failure surface appeared, rock sample broke down, and energy absorbed by rock sample was mainly used for dissipation of frictional energy caused by plastic slipping of rock sample, additionally, the rate of curve III is apparently higher than that of curve II until point F, while the growth rate of energy curve II and III maintained stability.

5 ACOUSTIC EMISSION RESPONSE

(a) (b) FIG.4 CURVES OF SPECIMEN UNDER TRIAXIAL COMPRESSION TEST: (a) CURVE OF AXIAL STRESS DIFFERENCETIMERING-DOWN COUNT RATE AND (b) CURVE OF AXIAL STRESS DIFFERENCETIMECUMULATIVE RING-DOWN COUNT RATE

Acoustic emission events under process of loading were gradually increasing, till rock sample destroyed, increasing trend of counting rate lasted until approximately 276s, about 95% of past-peak of axial stress. Confining pressure increased the bearing capacity of rock sample, the intensity of failure process of rock sample, and counting rate of acoustic emission event also increased. Closer to damage, around 288s, counting rate becomes active, maximum in 326s. After maximum counting rate of acoustic emission events, acoustic emission events didnt disappeared along with failure of test specimen, active occasionally under the condition of certain level of counting rate. Point E, there was a inflection point of rate of cumulative ring-down count, after point, rate was still linearly growing. Counting rate of past-peak of loading rock sample is lower, but occasionally counting rate of acoustic emission is higher than pre-peak.

6 CRACK PROPAGATION
Counting rate of past-peak of loading rock sample is lower, but occasionally counting rate of acoustic emission is
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higher than pre-peak.

(a) pre-peak 80%

(b) pre-peak 85%

(c) pre-peak 90%

(d) pre-peak 95%

(e) max

(f) past-peak 95%

(g) past-peak 90%

(h) residue level

FIG. 5 FAILURE MODE OF LOADING PROCESS

Fig.5 shows damage rule of triaxial loading specimen in the different stages before and after peak max of axial stress fewer than 10 MPa confining pressure. Pre-peak 80% of axial stress, as shown in the fig.5 (a), stepping into the plastic zone, internal specimen appears damage of tension and shear, compression with state of discrete, and there is no relationship between damages, but density of distribution all around is higher than that of the center region. Pre-peak 85%, fig.5 (b), damages of shear and tension, compression of center region increased, tension and shear failure of upper increased significantly as well as compression failure of bottom i, and failure surface of compression failure appears. Pre-peak 90%, fig.5 (c), failure of bottom of specimen kept increasing, and failure surface of bottom of specimen was connected from central region near the outer wall to outer wall. Pre-peak 95%, fig.5 (d), failure of tension and shear, compression increased obviously, and there is a trend that points become surface in the upper of specimen. Peak, fig.5 (e), multiple failure surfaces form in a short time, without connecting, and upper appears failure surface connected with outer wall, in addition, the part in front of individual damage surface appears accumulation of tension and shear, and distribution of surface is higher than others. Past-peak 95%, fig.5 (f), surfaces of upper and bottom connected with outer wall were almost connected, but very nearly, the main failure surface of upper of specimen connected with secondary failure surface.
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Past-peak 90%, fig.5 (g), surface connected from the upper of specimen to bottom, with strength reducing, multiple secondary failure surfaces appeared in the top and bottom of specimen, and the connected surface was caused by compression, but failure of tension and shear mainly focused on the surface, while the rest is rarely. Residue level, fig.5 (h), failure compression increased around connected shear surface inside, however, the change of tensile and shear was not very obvious. Under loading process, at the beginning, compression failure was distributed discretely, both sides of specimen increased with axial stress increasing until density distribution of compression of both ends of surface is gradually higher than others, and shear surface develops from both ends to the middle until connected, and the connecting shear surface of compression is the main factor causing damage of rock sample. Under process, damage and fracture caused by compression are more than tension and shear, while distribution of shear more discrete than compression, and there is a trend that failure of compression is gradually connected, while shear failure was focused on the main surface, and the trend of concentration of shear failure is the direction that damage surfaces develop in decreasing of sample strength caused by shear failure and connected surface of compression mainly.

FIG. 6 CRACK DURING ROCK FRACTURE PROCESS

Under process of loading, on the elastic stage, the number of cracks of shear and compression is few, even closer to zero. Stepping into plastic stage, the number starts to increase, the rate of cracks of compression is higher significantly, when the specimen reaches peak of loading capacity, increases obviously. The growing rate reduces until specimen has been damaged. In the view of crack number of loading test, the number of cracks of compression is more than shear. The crack extension characterize by cracks of compression, during loading process, shear fissure is secondary.

7 CONCLUSIONS
This article, based on analysis of loading of marble, with combinations of energy, acoustic emission and discrete element, comes to the following conclusions: (1) The loading tests of marble under conditions of different confining pressure, are very similar on the evolution law of stress and failure mode of specimen, basically show that numerical experiments could be used as supplement of laboratory experiments. (2) In the process of loading of marble, axial strain energy of laboratory experiments is gradually increasing, after damage of specimen, growth rate reduces, and there is an inflection point of total strain energy, corresponding to peak of curve of stress-strain. (3) Before the imminence of failure of loading, acoustic emission event of marble appears omens of failure, the counting rate of event exists an obviously increase, the failure of marble maximize counting rate of acoustic
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emission event, accumulated acoustic emission appears an inflection point obviously. (4) The failure of compression has a gradually trend of connection under process of loading, failure of shear is a process of accumulation, failure and accumulation along with failure of compression, the direction of accumulation of failure of shear is the same as developing tendency of failure surface, cracks of compression are in the majority of cracks in process of failure.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41002109, 51074095), The Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education (20103721110002) and Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (ZR2010DQ021).

REFERENCES
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Xuebin Wang, Yishan Pan, Jin Ma. Analysis of strain (or the ratio of strain) in the shear band and a criterion on instability based on the energy criterion. Engineering Mechanics, Bei Jing, Vol. 20 (2003), p. 111-115. (in Chinese) Xuebin Wang. Unstable criterion of rock specimen subjected to shear failure in uniaxial compression based on energy principle. Engineering Mechanics, Bei Jing, Vol. 24 (2007), p. 153-156. (in Chinese) Hong Gao, Yingren Zheng, Xia-ting Feng. Study on energy yield criterion of geomaterials. Chinese Journal of Rock Mechanics and Engineering, Wu Han, Vol. 26 (2007), p. 2437-2443. (in Chinese) Shulin Li, Xiangang Yin, Yongjia Wang,et al. Studies of acoustic emission characteristics of uniaxial compressive rock failure. Chinese Journal of Rock Mechanics and Engineering, Wu Han, Vol. 23 (2004), p. 2499-2503. (in Chinese) Mansurov V A. Acoustic emission from failing rock behavior. Rock Engng., 1994, p. 173-182 Gang Wu, Zhenyang Zhao. Acoustic emission character of rock materials failure during various stress states. Chinese Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, Nan Jing, Vol.20 (1998), p. 82-85. (in Chinese) Shungui Liu, Haining Liu, Sijing Wang, et al. Direct shear tests and PFC2D numerical simulation of intermittent joints. Chinese Journal of Rock Mechanics and Engineering, Wu Han, Vol. 27 (2008), p. 1828-1836. (in Chinese) M. Cai, P.K. Kaiser and C.D. Martin. Quantification of Rock Mass Damage in Underground Excavation from Microseismic Event Monitoring. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Science, (2001), p. 1135-1145. (in Chinese) M. Cai. et al. Peak and Residual Strengths of Jointed Rock Mass and Their Determination for Engineering Design. Rock Mechanics, (2007), p. 259-267. (in Chinese)

AUTHORS
1

Yu

Cong

(1984-), in

male, the of

the

Han of

Liming Zhang (1976-), male, the Han nationality, Doctor,

nationality, Master, Doctoral candidate, mainly engaged stability surrounding rock underground

Associate Professor, mainly engaged in the stability of surrounding rock of underground engineering and rock mechanics, in 2009, graduated from Xian University of Architecture and Technology, acquired Doctor Degree. Email: dryad_427@163.com
4

engineering and rock mechanics, in 2007, graduated from China University of Geosciences. Email: cuncin@163.com
2

Zaiquan Wang (1964-), male, the Han nationality, Doctor,

Xiaoyu Bai (1984-), male, the Han nationality, Master, Doctoral

Professor, mainly engaged in the stability of surrounding rock of underground engineering and rock mechanics, in 1985, graduated from China University of Mining and Technology, acquired Doctor Degree. Email: zqwang4521@163.com

candidate, mainly engaged in the field of foundation and underground engineering, in 2007, graduated from Qingdao Technological University in geotechnical engineering, acquitted Master Degree. Email: baixiaoyu538@163.com

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