The role of prior creep duration on the acoustic emission characteristics of rock salt under cyclic loading

This study aimed to investigate the acoustic emission (AE) behavior of rock salt under combined creep and fatigue. The loading path was in a stress-controlled mode and contained a constant stress load with different durations, followed by cyclic loading. The AE counts, peak frequency, amplitude, b-value, and RA (rise time/amplitude)-AF (average frequency) distribution were systematically analyzed. The results show that the AE counts gradually increased during loading and existed sporadically within the prior creep stage and frequently in the subsequent cyclic loading phase. The peak frequency exhibited a zonal distribution and was divided into low, medium, and high parts. A longer prior creep duration induced a wider frequency distribution range, a higher average amplitude, and a reduction in b-value. According to the RA-AF distribution, the tensile cracks constituted more than 90% of the total cracks, and the prior creep duration decreased the shear crack propagation compared with the cases without prior creep. The results indicate that prior creep increases the crack dimensions and damage severity and makes the salt sample prone to fracture in the subsequent cyclic loading.