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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Earth Sci.
Sec. Solid Earth Geophysics
Volume 13 - 2025 |
doi: 10.3389/feart.2025.1548089
This article is part of the Research Topic Advanced Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Development of Underground Resources View all 26 articles
Numerical simulation research on the micro-cracking mechanism of sandstone under freeze-thaw cycles
Provisionally accepted- 1 State Key Laboratory of Deep Geotechnical Mechanics and Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, China
- 2 School of Physics and New Energy, Xuzhou University of Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
Abstract:The process of microcrack formation in sandstone subjected to freezethaw cycles is pivotal for elucidating the decline in rock mechanical property. A discrete element numerical model considering the variation of frost heave force and water saturation during the freeze-thaw cycles is established in this paper. The model effectiveness is validated by comparing it with laboratory experiment results, and the microscopic influence mechanism of freeze-thaw cycles on sandstone mechanical behavior is explored. The results indicate that: (1) During freeze-thaw cycles, the development of cracks can be divided into three stages: stable, growth and explosive stage. The crack quantity in the stable and growth stage increases exponentially, while the quantity of cracks in the explosive stage increases linearly quickly. (2) Repeated freeze-thaws cause progressive damage to rocks from surface to interior. As the times of freeze-thaw increase, cracks gradually develop, and their distribution becomes more uniform on different angles. (3) Sandstone that have undergone freeze-thaw cycles is more prone to tensile failure, and the distribution of cracks becomes even more complex. These research findings provide a more accurate understanding of micro-fracture mechanisms in rocks in the freeze-thaw condition. Keywords:freezing and thawing cycles; discrete element ; water saturation; volume expansion; crack
Keywords: Freezing and thawing cycles, discrete element, water saturation, Volume expansion, Crack
Received: 19 Dec 2024; Accepted: 17 Jan 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tao, Peng, Hu, Boyuan and Zhanqing. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Wu Peng, School of Physics and New Energy, Xuzhou University of Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
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