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Decoding Rock Fracture Behavior: A Classification of Frost Heave Pressure Evolution in Freeze–Thaw Process

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Abstract

In cold regions, rock fractures can expand under the force of frost heave pressure, potentially triggering severe geological catastrophes such as collapses and landslides on rock slopes. Nevertheless, a comprehensive study of the evolution patterns and causes of frost heave pressure within rock fractures is currently lacking. To address this gap, this paper focuses on single-cracked sandstone and identifies four distinct types of frost heave pressure curves by conducting monitoring tests under various conditions. Each type of curve was thoroughly analyzed to understand its evolution and the underlying causes. It was found that the rupture and drop type curve can be segmented into five stages: incubation, eruption, drop, equilibrium, and dissipation. The drop stage is predominantly attributed to the fracturing of the crack influenced by frost heave pressure. Compared with the rupture and drop type curve, the stable type curve, where the crack does not expand during the freeze–thaw cycle, lacks a drop stage. Furthermore, samples displaying a stable descent type curve possess a higher freezing temperature, causing a noticeable delay in the emergence of their frost heave pressure. This curve, when compared with the stable type, shows a faster reduction in frost heave pressure during the equilibrium stage. For the secondary frost heave type curve, secondary frost heave emerges within the rock fracture at the onset of thawing, with the rupture of ice proving critical to this phenomenon. The frost heave pressure distributed along the crack surfaces of the four types of curves displays a lack of uniformity. This unevenness is observed to correlate with the inconsistent growth of ice according to its self-purification principle. Finally, based on the experimental results, a novel criterion for frost heave pressure and rock fracture cracking is proposed.

Highlights

  • Four distinct frost heave pressure curves are obtained, and the underlying causes of each are examined.

  • The uneven growth of ice causes non-uniform frost heave pressure distribution within the fracture.

  • Ice rupture is pivotal to the formation of secondary frost heave.

  • A novel criterion for frost heave pressure and rock fracture cracking is proposed.

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Acknowledgements

This study received funding from the project (No. 2018YFC0808401 and No. 2018YFC0808402) supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China.

Funding

This work is supported by the the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFC0808401, 2018YFC0808402).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China

    Guibin Wang & Huandui Liu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Junyue Zhang & Zhen Tian

  3. Hubei Key Laboratory of Environmental Geotechnology, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China

    Guibin Wang & Huandui Liu

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  1. Guibin Wang
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  2. Junyue Zhang
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  4. Huandui Liu
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Correspondence to Junyue Zhang.

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Wang, G., Zhang, J., Tian, Z. et al. Decoding Rock Fracture Behavior: A Classification of Frost Heave Pressure Evolution in Freeze–Thaw Process. Rock Mech Rock Eng (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-024-03821-w

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