Effect of surrounding environment on subcritical crack growth index and long-term strength for rock

Study of subcritical crack growth is important in estimating the long-term strength of rock and in ensuring the long-term stability of structures in a rock mass. The long-term strength is affected by the value of subcritical crack growth index (SCGI). However, the effect of environmental conditions on SCGI has not been clarified. In this study, we have estimated SCGI under various environmental conditions on a sample of Kumamoto andesite, using the Double-Torsion method. We show that the SCGI decreased when the temperature is higher in both air and water, the SCGI in water is smaller than that in air. When the relative humidity of the air increased, SCGI tended to be smaller and at 90 % relative humidity was close to the value in water. Under alkali conditions, the SCGI decreased slightly. Using the values of SCGI, the long-term strength was estimated and it is shown that the long-term strength decreased when SCGI was smaller. It is concluded that SCGI and the long-term strength is affected by the surrounding environment, specifically by the temperature and water. To ensure the long-term stability of rock, the control of the temperature and water migration is important. © 2010 The Society of Materials Science, Japan.