Cyclic Loading Effects on the Creep and Dilation of Salt Rock

The Solution Mining Research Institute (SMRI) has embarked on inquiries into the effect cyclic loading might have on salt. This interest stems from the concept of using salt caverns as a storage medium for renewable energy projects such as compressed air energy storage where daily pressure cycles in the cavern are conceivable as opposed to the seasonal cycles that are typical for natural gas storage projects. RESPEC and the Institut für Aufbereitung und Deponietechnik at Clausthal University of Technology jointly executed a rock mechanics laboratory study using both facilities for performing triaxial cyclic loading creep tests on rock salt recovered from the Avery Island Mine in Louisiana, USA. The cyclic triaxial creep tests were performed under various load paths including compression, extension, and compression/extension. The tests were performed under both dilative and nondilative stress regimes. The cyclic compression creep data were compared to static creep tests performed under similar conditions to assess the effect of cycling of the applied stress. Furthermore, the cyclic compression tests were compared to a numerically simulated static creep test at the same stress and temperature conditions to determine if the creep behavior was similar under cyclic loading.