Uniaxial Compressive Strength Test

Biteghe Chandryl Paterne

July 5, 2016
 CONTENTS

Contents

Introduction 2

1 Basics on rock mechanics 3

1.1 Basic definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.1.1 Strain and Stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.1.2 Young’s modulus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.1.3 Poisson’s ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.1.4 Unconfined compressive strength . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.2 Principe of uniaxial test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.3 Methods for strain measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.3.1 Strain gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.3.2 LVDT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.3.3 Dual indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2 Measurements of Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio in the

lab 12
2.1 Experimental apparatus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.2 Defining the best choice for rock sample . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.2.1 Type of rock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.2.2 Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.3 Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.4 Data interpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Acknowledgements 19

Annexes 20

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 CONTENTS

Introduction

Our internship took place in the Laboratory of Thermodynamics and Ener-

getics of Complex Fluids : LFC- R which belongs to the Research Federation
IPRA. It includes physicians and geoscientists from Pau and Anglet and aims
to improve knowledge regarding the fluids’ behavior under high pressure and
temperature. The laboratory also develops a better comprehension of the
structure and mechanics of reservoirs. We also have been greeted by the
laboratory of geomechanics based in Anglet.
The objective of this internship is to develop a setup that helps to improve
the student’s understanding of rock mechanics. For this purpose, pedagogy
was the priority instead of technical challenges. To achieve this goal,we need
to investigate the feasibility of practical work in rock mechanics courses (uni-
axial testing). This goal includes research on materials and experimentation
to check the reliability of the practical work results.

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Chapter 1

Basics on rock mechanics

This introductory chapter define different parameters which characterize a

rock. It also presents devices which measure displacements.

1.1 Basic definitions

1.1.1 Strain and Stress
Stress
The term stress (σ) is used to express the loading in terms of force applied to
a certain cross-sectional area of an object. From the perspective of loading,
stress is the applied force or system of forces that tends to deform a body.
F orce F
Stress, σ = = (1.1)
Cross − sectionalArea A0

Strain
Strain is the response of a system to an applied stress. When a material is
loaded with a force, it produces a stress, which then causes a material to
deform. Engineering strain is defined as the amount of deformation in the
direction of the applied force divided by the initial length of the material.
This results in a unitless number.
Elongation ∆L
Strain, ε = = (1.2)
Initiallength L0

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 CHAPTER 1. BASICS ON ROCK MECHANICS

Figure 1.1: Young’s modulus. F is the force, A is the area, ∆L is the dis-
placement, L is the initial length [1]

1.1.2 Young’s modulus

Young’s modulus E is defined as the stress σ over the strain ε in an uniaxial
set-up.
σ
E = ∆L (1.3)
L

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 CHAPTER 1. BASICS ON ROCK MECHANICS

Young’s modulus depends upon several factors, such as,

• Type of rock

• Porosity

• Grain size

• Water content

The following table shows Young’s modulus of different rocks. In this

table, we see that ignous and metamorphic rocks are very stiff. Hence they
require higher stresses to realize a similar level of deformation and thus their
practical work.

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 CHAPTER 1. BASICS ON ROCK MECHANICS

Figure 1.2: Modulus of Elasticity of some commun rocks [3]

1.1.3 Poisson’s ratio

Poisson’s ratio, named after Siméon Poisson, is the negative ratio of trans-
verse to axial strain. When a material is compressed in one direction, it
usually tends to expand in the other two directions perpendicular to the di-
rection of compression. This phenomenon is called the Poisson effect. Pois-
son’s ratio ν (nu) is a measure of this effect. The Poisson ratio is the fraction
(or percent) of expansion divided by the fraction (or percent) of compression,
for small values of these changes.

The table below shows the Poisson’s ratio of some rocks.

We can note that Poisson’s ratio of sedimentary rocks are the lowest and it
is interesting for our experimentation. [4]

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 CHAPTER 1. BASICS ON ROCK MECHANICS

Figure 1.3: Poisson’s ration of some rock [4]

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 CHAPTER 1. BASICS ON ROCK MECHANICS

1.1.4 Unconfined compressive strength

The unconfined compressive strength is a load applied on a sample, in a sin-
gle axe. As well as Young’s modulus, Rock strength also depends on many
parameters(Paterson, 1978) including:

• Rock type
• Rock composition
• Rock grain size
• Rock density and porosity
• Geometry of the rock
• Rock anisotropy
• Water pore pressure and saturation
• Temperature

Figure 1.4: Uniaxial compressive strength for different rock types (Summa-
rized from Lama and Vutukuri) [2]

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 CHAPTER 1. BASICS ON ROCK MECHANICS

1.2 Principe of uniaxial test

The uniaxial compression tests provide a simple and effective way to charac-
terize a material’s response to loading. By subjecting a specimen to compres-
sive displacement along a single axis, the change in dimensions and resulting
load can be recorded to calculate a stress- strain profile. Engineering strain
can be calculated as:
△L
εe = (1.4)
L0
Where △L is the measured displacement and L0 is initial sample length along
a single axis. Engineering stress can be calculated as:
P
σe = (1.5)
A0
Where P is the applied load and A0 is the initial cross sectional area of the
sample normal to the loading direction.

Figure 1.5: Unconfined Compression Test [5]

1.3 Methods for strain measurements

1.3.1 Strain gauge
A strain gauge is a device used to measure strain on an object. Invented by
Edward E. Simmons and Arthur C. Ruge in 1938, the most common type
of strain gauge consists of an insulating flexible backing which supports a

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 CHAPTER 1. BASICS ON ROCK MECHANICS

metallic foil pattern. The gauge is attached to the object by a suitable adhe-
sive, such as cyanoacrylate. As the object is deformed, the foil is deformed,
causing its electrical resistance to change. This resistance change, usually
measured using a Wheatstone bridge, is related to the strain by the quantity
known as the gauge factor. [6] Despite it is cheap and reliable, we can’t use
it for our experimentation. First of all, because it is just used once.Actually,
when the rock reaches the failure the strain gauge will also be destroyed.
Then, its reliability depends on many factors such as temperature and the
quality of adhesive....

1.3.2 LVDT
Linear variable differential transformers (LVDT) are also used to measure
displacement. A LVDT consists of a coil assembly and a core. The coil
assembly is typically mounted to a stationary form, while the core is secured
to the object whose position is being measured.. A core of permeable material
can slide freely through the center of the form without any considerable
friction. Because the device relies on the coupling of magnetic flux, an LVDT
can have infinite resolution. Therefore the smallest fraction of movement can
be detected by suitable signal conditioning hardware, and the resolution of
the transducer is solely determined by the resolution of the data acquisition
system. Similarly to strain gauges, LVDT also require a machine and software
which process waves into a strain measurements.

1.3.3 Dual indicator

An indicator is any of various instruments used to accurately measure small
distances and angles, and amplify them to make them more visible. The
name comes from the concept of indicating to the user that which their
naked eye cannot discern; such as the presence, or exact quantity, of some
small distance. Dial indicators typically measure ranges from 0.25mm to
300mm, with graduations of 0.001mm to 0.01mm.

• Many indicators have a dial display, in which a needle points to grad-

uations in a circular array around the dial. Such indicators, of which
there are several types, are often called dial indicators.

• Other types of indicator include mechanical devices with cantilevered

pointers and electronic devices with digital displays.

To weight pros and cons, this tool is particularly relevant for us because
it doesn’t require any extra machine and the students will have to convert

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 CHAPTER 1. BASICS ON ROCK MECHANICS

displacements into strains. Its main problem is to fit it, you need to take
care of angle, plan and axis which are not a simple challenge.

Figure 1.6: A dual indicator

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Chapter 2

Measurements of Young’s
modulus and Poisson’s ratio in
the lab

This chapter presents the experimentation realized in Anglet campus. With

data recorded, we want to establish the stress-strain profile and calculate
Young’s modulus.

2.1 Experimental apparatus

All major items needed to carry out your experiment are :

• Hydraulic Press XLP series 25000kg(The uniaxial test consists in load-

ing a sample in a single axis)

• 2 dual indicators1

• Microsoft Excel

• a specimen of mortar

• A pile of iron plates for support

Our first big challenge was to set up dual indicator on the specimen
(mortar). Due to space constraints, we have decided to position them at an
angle of 45 degrees and make a projection during our ions.

1
one with a rotative feeler

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 CHAPTER 2. MEASUREMENTS OF YOUNG’S MODULUS
AND POISSON’S RATIO IN THE LAB

Figure 2.1: Hydraulic press XLP series

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 CHAPTER 2. MEASUREMENTS OF YOUNG’S MODULUS
AND POISSON’S RATIO IN THE LAB

Figure 2.2: Dual indicators fitted on the mortar

The second was regarding the specimen, actually the mortar was affected
with a hole in the center (8 mm diameter). Hence, the contact area have
been reduced. To solve it, we have subtracted this area to the principal area.
By using dual indicators, we can measure and record the change in di-
mensions and the resulting load with a raising of 1 kN. With those data, it
is possible to draw a stress-strain profile and calculate the Young’s modulus.

2.2 Defining the best choice for rock sample

2.2.1 Type of rock
The major problem of choosing a rock is that many parameters control its
stiffness, some of them are enumerated above. Sedimentary rocks were found
to be generally less stiff, and thus more suitable for educational purposes.
Among those sedimentary rocks, sandstone is particularly relevant because it
can easily be found and has a relatively low compressive strength (98 MPa)

2.2.2 Size
For a compressive test, cylindrical and rectangular specimens can be used,
but a cylindrical specimen is high recommended by the ISRM (International
society for rock mechanic). ISRM establishes plenty rules for rock mechanics.
Regarding to unconfined compressive test, they also forbid the superposition
of 2 or above specimens.
With regard to the size of the specimen, we have to take a sample as bigger
as possible considering length/diameter ratio which is a division of the length
by the diameter of specimen. In order to obtain relevant results, this ration
should equal to 2or above.
For our own experimentation we will use a sandstone cylindrical specimen, 80
mm in length and 48 mm in diameter (length\diameter ratio is not exactly

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 CHAPTER 2. MEASUREMENTS OF YOUNG’S MODULUS
AND POISSON’S RATIO IN THE LAB

equal to 2 because the used coring machine didn’t have 40 mm as diameter).

Those dimensions were not chosen hazardously. From the Young’s modulus,
Poisson ration and compressive strengh, we have calculated the best size re-
quired for specimens.2

Nota bene: We have used a mortar despite of a sandstone because we haven’t

cored drill our sandstone specimen yet. But finally, our experimentation aims
to check whether the hydraulic press is reliable to find the Young’s modulus
of any specimen.

2.3 Results
The following table shows results recorded and from those results we have
created a stress-strain profile.

Load(KN) Stress ε Strain σ(MPa)

1 0 0
2 0,00018 0,883
4 0,00053 2,649
6 0,00062 4,416
7 0,00068 5,299
8 0,00072 6,183

Figure 2.3: Results recorded

2
To figure it out, please find the demonstration on the annexes

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 CHAPTER 2. MEASUREMENTS OF YOUNG’S MODULUS
AND POISSON’S RATIO IN THE LAB

Figure 2.4: Stress-strain profile

Figure 2.5: Different phases studied

2.4 Data interpretation

The following picture presents all data recorded and the stress-strain profiles.
In the first stress-strain profile, we see 2 phases , the first one, from 0 to about
0.0053 and the second rise sharply from 0.0053 to the end
Normally, we are supposed to see a linear relation because we are in the
elastic zone.
To understand these data, we studied each single phases of this profile. The
first graphic(phase 1) presenting the first phase has a Young’s modulus lower
than the second’s, it is around 5GPa. It is probably due to compaction.
Actually, we superposed a pile of metal plates beneath our specimen in order
to support the mortar. The space between each plate can contain air and/or
durst.
Nevertheless, the second phase presents a Young’s modulus higher than
the first perhaps because the compaction is certainly over. Thanks to Excel,

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 CHAPTER 2. MEASUREMENTS OF YOUNG’S MODULUS
AND POISSON’S RATIO IN THE LAB

we have calculated the Young’s modulus which is simply the slope of stress-
strain curve. Its Young’s modulus is equal to 18,26Gpa. But according
to Olivier Noueilletas (whom the mortar belongs to), It is supposed to be
20Gpa.
Although the results are not exactly equal, we are in the same range. Errors
are probably still coming from the compaction. Or maybe due to the dual
indicators since it was totally impossible to fit them on the perfect 450 .
Reading values on dual indicator is not accurate, so it can also cause a loss
on number.

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Conclusion

Through to this internship, we selected a rock type and its size for carrying
out practical work. We also selected a deformation measurement device. Ac-
cording to our experimentation, we can conclude that an uniaxial testing can
be realized this hydraulic press and theses dual indicators as technical work.
Although all dispositions haven’t been taken, we have found a result closer
to the real Young’s modulus what is promising. Nevertheless, extra experi-
mentation have to be realized respecting a huge number of arrangement.

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 CHAPTER 2. MEASUREMENTS OF YOUNG’S MODULUS
AND POISSON’S RATIO IN THE LAB

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge Dr. Clarisse Bordes and Petter for guiding us
through this laboratory module, as well as sir Olivier Nouailletas for provid-
ing technical assistance.
Moreover, I am looking forward to thanking my classmates Nicolas Dallasta
and Remy Juste. I also give my best regard to Anglet Laboratory and it
members because they gave me the change to see a real laboratory of me-
chanical rock with plenty of further information. I cannot forget Paloma
Brito Dos Santos who taught me how to use Texmaker and she also expands
my English skills.

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 CHAPTER 2. MEASUREMENTS OF YOUNG’S MODULUS
AND POISSON’S RATIO IN THE LAB

Annexes

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Bibliography

[1] Trygve Westlye Fintland. Measurements of young’s modulus on rock

samples at small amplitude and low frequency. Master’s thesis, NTNU,
june 2011.

[2] JOHN A. HUDSON. COMPRESSIVE ROCK ENGINEERING, volume

vulume:3 Rock tsting and sit characterization. PERGAMON PRESS,
1993.

[3] Suryakanta Padhi. What are the values of modulus of elasticity poisson’s
ratio for different rocks?, 2015.

[4] Suryakanta Padhi. What are the values of modulus of elasticity poisson’s
ratio for different rocks?, 2015.

[5] Soil properties.

[6] Wikipedia. Strain gauge.

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