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How does structure affect the evolution of cracking and the failure mode of anisotropic shale?

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Abstract

Cylindrical specimens with horizontal and vertical bedding planes were prepared for uniaxial compression testing to study the effects of structure on the mechanics of the evolution of cracking and failure mode in anisotropic shale. In-situ computed tomography (CT) was used to obtain horizontal CT images at different applied stresses during loading. Based on the CT images and reconstructed stereograms, differences in the initial structural characteristics (mineral and void distributions), the evolution of macroscopic stress-strain curves and mesoscopic mineral and void contents, and the morphologies of the final cracking pattern of shale specimens with different bedding planes were quantified. This displayed the positive correlation between the initial mineral distribution and void content. The increased rate of void content during loading is greater in specimens with vertical bedding planes and is easily damaged, suggesting that the crack morphology is therefore simpler. A mineral band and cuboidal pyrite grains were found in specimens with vertical bedding planes, which resulted in higher stiffness (E) and strength (UCS) values, and affected the cracking process and the failure mode that consists of vertical and curved cracks. These qualitative and quantitative results helped us characterise and understand the structural (bedding planes and mineral bands) effects and their influence on the evolution of cracking and failure mode of anisotropic shale.

Article highlights

  1. 1.

    In-situ CT tests were conducted on anisotropic shale to study the structure effect on crack evolution and failure mechanism;

  2. 2.

    The increased rate of mesoscopic void in specimens with vertical bedding planes is higher and the cracking pattern is simpler;

  3. 3.

    Mineral bands result in higher stiffness and strength, affect the crack process and the failure mode that consists of vertical and curved cracks.

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modified from Lyu et al. (2015) (a), Hou et al. (2016) (b), Hou et al. (2015) (c), and present study (d))

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Editor and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful and constructive comments. This work is funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (42007243 and 42102309), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (N2101032), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2021M690562), and Postdoctoral Foundation of Northeastern University (20210301).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education on Safe Mining of Deep Metal Mines, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, China

    Yongting Duan & Baicun Yang

  2. School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, Liaoning, China

    Baicun Yang

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  1. Yongting Duan
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  2. Baicun Yang
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Each author has contributed to this paper. Yongting Duan and Baicun Yang conceived and designed the experiments; Baicun Yang performed the experiments; Yongting Duan processed the experimental data and wrote this paper; Baicun Yang gave guidance on writing style and language. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Yongting Duan.

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Duan, Y., Yang, B. How does structure affect the evolution of cracking and the failure mode of anisotropic shale?. Geomech. Geophys. Geo-energ. Geo-resour. 8, 25 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40948-021-00330-w

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