Payonga, Ralf L.

BSGeolEng-3201

GeoE 417- Rock Mechanics

REACTION PAPER for Shi, et al. (2016)
Weakening laws of rock uniaxial compressive strength
with consideration of water content and rock porosity

In Pokemon logic, water type pokemons dominate rock and ground type
pokemons. Back then, I wondered why everytime I used squirtle over a geodude in
battling in a cave in Pokemon Fire Red, it is an easy win and eventually, I usually
pick a water type starter, since the games commonly start within a cave, or it is
frequent to encounter caves on the earlier parts of the game. Up until I learned the
concepts of geology, I later figured out that water indeed contributes to the formation
of landforms and rocks in general.
This study specifically standardized the principle that water tends to be
affiliated with the hardness, porosity and the uniaxial compressive strength of a rock.
It is far more complex than what we usually know, wherein water is the main factor of
the formation of sedimentary rocks, since it is one of the mediums of transport,
deposition, and saltation of sediments that eventually forms some sedimentary
rocks.
In common observations, when a material is induced with water, it will be wet
basically. Sand and sediments tend to be compacted with the addition of water.
However in rocks, it might affect the structural integrity and the compressive strength
of them based on the composition of the rock. The study focused on the different
varieties of sandstones (or other types of sedimentary rocks) varying from age and
location, that were tested through the same method of testing and parameters.
Majority of the samples tested showed the same results of a massive decline on the
UCS of the saturated rocks over the unsaturated rocks. Moreover, it shows the same
result even if the size of the rock increases, or decreases as what they’ve used in
MG Sandstones. However, the lesser the UCS, the more the porosity of a rock will
be.
It is much needed that geologists were able to distinguish the relationship of
rocks with water since its applicability extends to different fields, where presence of
water can put a project or a specimen at risk specifically with construction projects,
mining, petroleum deposit and other sort of applications. With this study, it made me
justify the fact that water gets the better of a rock every time, since water in general
can weaken the rock.