journal article·2025-06-23Open access

Study on the Mechanical Properties and Degradation Mechanisms of Damaged Rock Under the Influence of Liquid Saturation

Bowen Wu, Jucai Chang, Jianbiao Bai, Chao Qi, Dingchao Chen

Applied Sciences· Volume 15· Issue 13

Abstract

To investigate the degradation mechanisms of the surrounding rock in abandoned mine roadways used for oil storage, this study combined uniaxial compression tests with digital image correlation (DIC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and other techniques to analyze the evolution of the rock mechanical properties under the coupled effects of oil–water soaking and initial damage. The results indicate that oil–water soaking induces the loss of silicon elements and the deterioration of microstructure, leading to surface peeling, crack propagation, and increased porosity of the sample. The compressive strength decreases linearly with the soaking time. Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring showed that after 24 h of soaking, the maximum ringing count rate and cumulative count decreased by 81.7% and 80.4%, respectively, compared to the dry state. As the liquid saturation increases, the failure mode transitions from tension dominated to shear failure. The synergistic effect of initial damage and oil–water erosion weakens the rock’s energy storage capacity, with the energy storage limit decreasing by 45.6%, leading to reduced resistance to external forces.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Rock Mechanics and Modeling · Grouting, Rheology, and Soil Mechanics · Geoscience and Mining Technology

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

School of Mining Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China

State Key Laboratory for Fine Exploration and Intelligent Development of Coal Resources, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China

School of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China · Research Fund of The State Key Laboratory for Fine Exploration and Intelligent Development of Coal Resources, CUMT · Scientific Research Foundation for High-level Talents of Anhui University of Science and Technology · Anhui Province Excellent Research and Innovation Team

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