Multi-scale deterioration of physical and mechanical properties of argillaceous siltstone under cyclic wetting-drying of Yangtze River water

Cyclic interactions between rocks and water have general significance and are particularly relevant to engineering failures and geohazards. A comprehensive investigation of the multi-scale deterioration effects and mechanisms of cyclic wetting-drying on rocks can contribute to better engineering applications, but the probabilistic characterization of rock mass properties under cyclic wetting-drying remains a problem due to the difficult-to-test parameters and limited data. Numerous experiments on rock samples of argillaceous siltstone subjected to cyclic wetting-drying of Yangtze River water demonstrate progressive alteration of rock properties on multiple scales, including changes in mineralogy, grain structure, computed tomography, microporosity, and complexity of micropores, with calcite and albite being the most active minerals. The uniaxial compression strength and indirect tensile strength decrease exponentially with the cyclic number, while the Young's modulus increases. Considering the probabilistic characteristics of the geological strength index, the probabilistic mechanical properties of rock mass of studied argillaceous siltstone are then estimated through the generalized Hoek-Brown criterion. The results indicate that the uniaxial compression strength and indirect tensile strength of rock mass both follow lognormal distributions, while the Young's modulus follows a skewed distribution. Long-term strength parameters of rock and rock mass can also be determined as they exhibit exponential trends with the cyclic number. During the cyclic wetting-drying process, the water-rock interactions produce progressive changes in mineral compositions, microstructures, and micropores; with the accumulation of variations of physical properties, defects grow and develop into weak zones, thus the mechanical properties of argillaceous siltstone are significantly weakened. Investigations of the wetting-drying effects on the geological strength index and probabilistic characteristics of rock sample properties are recommended to accurately evaluate rock mass properties affected by cyclic wetting-drying. •Argillaceous siltstone is treated by cyclic wetting-drying of Yangtze River water.•Dissolution of calcite and albite results in the synergistic evolution of rock properties.•Micropores with a diameter greater than 100 μm become predominant.•Probabilistic properties of rock mass strength under cyclic wetting-drying are evaluated.•Long-term strength of the rock mass