Strength and Deformation of Frozen Rocks

Understanding mechanical behavior of frozen rocks is useful for evaluating the stability of rock slopes in cold regions. In this study, uniaxial compression tests and Brazilian tests were carried out on frozen rock specimens of welded tuff and andesite under -20 deg C temperature. The fracture process was examined by observing deformation behaviors and AE activities. Effects of water saturation degree on strength and deformability were also investigated. The main results are as follows. 1) The fracture process of the frozen rock was similar to that of non-frozen rock and was divided into the following regions. (I) Closure of cracks and pores. (II) Elastic deformation. (III) Fracture initiation and stable fracture propagation. (IV) Unstable fracture propagation. Also, stress levels at the beginning of the region (III) increased with the degree of water saturation. 2) Both strength and strain at peak stress increased as the degree of water saturation increased. The relations between them were able to be approximated by a straight line. Brittleness of rocks decreased with the degree of water saturation since indirect tensile strength was more sensitive to the degree of water saturation than uniaxial compressive strength. 3) The mechanical effect of frozen pore water was considered with an inclusion model. The model predicted the observed phenomenon. Namely, increment in fracture initiation stress, due to frozen pore water in uniaxial tension, was always higher than that in uniaxial compression. The increase in strength was thought to result from relaxation of stress concentration around pores.