Effects of breccia and water contents on the mechanical properties of fault-core-zone materials

Determining the mechanical properties of fault-core-zone materials is challenging because of the low strength of such materials, which affects field sampling, specimen preparation, and laboratory testing. We overcame this problem by preparing and testing mechanical properties of 132 artificial fault-core-zone specimens consisting of mixtures of breccia, sand, clay, and water. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS), elastic modulus (E), and penetration resistance value (PRV) of these fault-core-zone materials were measured, and the effects of breccia content and water content on mechanical properties were assessed. Results show that UCS is inversely proportional to breccia content and water content, and that E is inversely proportional to water content. Furthermore, the inverse relationship of UCS with water content varies with breccia content. UCS is proportional to both PRV and E, and the relationship for each varies with breccia content. High coefficients of determination (R 2 = 0.62–0.88) between the parameters suggest that breccia content, water content, and PRV are potentially useful parameters for estimating the mechanical properties of fault core zones.