Unloading Mechanics and Energy Characteristics of Sandstone under Different Intermediate Principal Stress Conditions

The TRW-3000 true triaxial rock testing machine was used to conduct loading and unloading tests of sandstone under different σ₂, and the true triaxial lateral unloading mechanics and energy characteristics of sandstone under different σ₂ were studied. The experimental results show the following: (1) compared with the results of the loading test, the peak strength of the sandstone under the unloading σ₃ path is reduced, the unloading direction has obvious expansion and deformation, and the amount of expansion increases significantly with the increase of σ₂; sudden brittle failure occurs at the end of unloading. E gradually decreases with the increase of H, and it performs well to use the cubic polynomial to fit the curve of E-H. (2) The Mogi–Coulomb strength criterion can accurately describe the true triaxial strength characteristics of sandstone under loading and unloading conditions. Compared with the results of the loading test, the values of c and φ obtained based on this criterion under the unloading σ₃ path are reduced. (3) Under the condition of unloading σ₃, U, U^e, and U^d, when the specimen is broken, are all linearly positively correlated with σ₂. U^d increases nonlinearly with the increase of H, and as σ₂ increases, the slope of the U^d-H curve becomes larger, and the specimen consumes more energy under the same unloading amount. Most of the energy absorbed by the specimen under the unloading σ₃ path is converted into U^e, but as σ₂ increase U^d/U increases, and the energy consumed when the specimen is broken is greater.

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