Dynamic Properties of Rocks

With the increase of property damage as well as human casualty caused by an

earthquake, the importance of an earthquake-resistant design for geotechnical structure is
being emphasized. The dynamic properties of geotechnical structure, especially, are
essential in earthquake-resistant design and can be achieved from both field and
laboratory tests.

1. Modulus of Deformation (Young’s Modulus)

 It was described by a Swiss scientist and engineer Leonhard Euler in 1727. In
1782, Italian scientist Giordano Riccati performed experiments leading to
modern calculations of the the modulus. Yet, the modulus takes its name
from British scientist Thomas Young, who described its calculation in his
Course of Lectures on Natural Philosophy and the Mechanical Arts in 1807.
 “Modulus” derived from the Latin root term modus which means “measure”.
 Modulus of Deformation or Young’s Modulus reflects the stiffness of an
earth’s material or the resistance to elastic deformation under load.
 Thomas Young describes the elastic properties of a solid undergoing tension
or compression in only one direction, as in the case of a metal rod that after
being stretched or compressed lengthwise returns to its original length.
 Sometimes it is called “Elastic Modulus”.
  Stress and strain may be described as follows in the case of a metal bar
under tension. If a metal bar of cross-sectional area A is pulled by a force F at
each end, the bar stretches from its original length L0 to a new length Ln.
(Simultaneously the cross section decreases.) The stress is the quotient of the
tensile force divided by the cross-sectional area, or F/A.
 The strain or relative deformation is the change in length, Ln − L0, divided by
the original length, or (Ln − L0)/L0. (Strain is dimensionless.) Thus, Young’s modulus
may be expressed mathematically as

 Using tensile testing machine, we can evaluate the tensile strength of a

material. 

 The higher the Young’s modulus, the stiffer the material.

2. Modulus of Rigidity (Shear Modulus)

 The modulus of rigidity is the elastic coefficient when a shear force is

applied resulting in lateral deformation. A material(rock) property with a
value equal to the shear stress divided by the shear strain.
 The shear modulus is determined by measuring the deformation of a
solid from applying a force parallel to one surface of a solid, while an
opposing force acts on its opposite surface and holds the solid in place.
Think of shear as pushing against one side of a block, with friction as the
opposing force. Another example would be attempting to cut wire or hair
with dull scissors.
  The equation for the shear modulus is:

Where:
 G is the shear modulus or modulus of rigidity
 τxy is the shear stress
 γxy is the shear strain
 F is the force applied
 A is the area over which the force acts
 Δx is the transverse displacement
 l is the initial length
Shear strain is Δx/l = tan θ or sometimes = θ, where θ is the angle formed by the
deformation produced by the applied force.
  Larger the value of shear modulus, more the material behaves as a rigid.
 Shear modulus is important because it identifies the elastic behavior of
material due to shear loading. Large shear force acting on material will
leads to fracture or stable deformation in material.

3. Bulk Modulus
 It is a measure of the ability of a substance to withstand changes in volume
when under compression on all sides.
 When an element is subjected to equal stresses in three mutually
perpendicular directions then, the ratio of direct stress to volumetric strain is
called as “Bulk Modulus”.
 The applied pressure reduces the volume of a material, which returns to its
original volume when the pressure is removed.
  A substance that is difficult to compress has a large bulk modulus but a small
compressibility. A substance that is easy to compress has a high
compressibility but a low bulk modulus.

4. Poisson’s Ratio
 Named after French mathematician Siméon Denis Poisson (1781-1840)
 it is defined as the ratio of the lateral strain to the axial strain for a uniaxial
stress state.

 Poisson's ratio is a measure of the Poisson effect, the phenomenon in which a

material tends to expand in directions perpendicular to the direction of
compression. Conversely, if the material is stretched rather than compressed,
it usually tends to contract in the directions transverse to the direction of
stretching. It is a common observation when a rubber band is stretched, it
becomes noticeably thinner.

 Rocks, like most materials, are subject to Poisson's effect while under stress.
In a geological timescale, excessive erosion or sedimentation of Earth's crust
can either create or remove large vertical stresses upon the underlying rock.
This rock will expand or contract in the vertical direction as a direct result of
the applied stress, and it will also deform in the horizontal direction as a
result of Poisson's effect. This change in strain in the horizontal direction can
affect or form joints and dormant stresses in the rock.
  Poisson ratio helped me in judging the material’s property. The one which
did not contract were brittle and the one which did were ductile.
 Poisson ratio helps in noticing that the materials which had high Poisson’s
ratio got pulled easily like rubber and the one which were hard to pull and
got broke without showing any elongation like cork had low Poisson’s ratio.
 If poisson’s ratio is high therefore the it is very stiff or high-modulus
material.
Reference:
Choi, S., Hwang, H., & Lee, S. (2011, December). A study on the measurement of dynamic
properties of rock. Retrieved July 01, 2020, from
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011AGUFMMR51A2156C/abstract
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2019, July 03). Young's modulus. Retrieved July
01, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/science/Youngs-modulus
Helmenstine, A. (2019, January 30). How the Shear Modulus Describes Material Rigidity.
Retrieved July 01, 2020, from https://www.thoughtco.com/shear-modulus-4176406
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2006, June 01). Bulk modulus. Retrieved July 02,
2020, from https://www.britannica.com/science/bulk-modulus
Poisson's ratio. (2020, June 20). Retrieved July 02, 2020, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisson's_ratio