ROCK STRENGTHENING MECHANISMS UPON HEATING: EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL RESEARCH
Some experimental studies have reported that rock can be strengthened rather than weakened upon heating. Why does rock strengthening occur? Based on a comprehensive literature review of studies conducted on the microstructural changes taking place in the mild temperature regime, we plan to perform lab tests and numerical studies to examine some possible thermal strengthening mechanisms in crystalline rocks. For the numerical part, we adopted the combined Finite-Discrete Element Method and proposed a novel thermomechanical coupled model to investigate the coupling effect of heating and loading on the mechanical response of rocks. The research outcomes will contribute to the advancement of engineering geological knowledge, enabling safer and cost-effective engineering design.
Additional information: Mr. Zihan LIU, zihanliu@connect.hku.hk