Mechanical properties and energy evolution of Beishan shallow-layer granite under different unloading paths

Rock has mechanical characteristics and a fracture damage mechanism that are closely related to its loading history and loading path. The mechanical properties, fracture damage features, acoustic emission(AE) characteristics, and strain energy evolution of the Beishan shallow-layer granite used in triaxial unloading tests were investigated in this study. Three groups of triaxial tests, namely, conventional triaxial compression test(Group Ⅰ), maintaining deviatoric stress synchronously unloading confining pressure test(Group Ⅱ), and loading axial pressure synchronously unloading confining pressure test(Group Ⅲ), were carried out for the cylindrical granite specimens. AE monitoring device was utilized in these tests to determine the degree to which the AE waves and AE events reflected the degree of rock damage. In addition, the crack stress thresholds of the specimens were determined by volumetric strain method and AE parameter method, and strain energy evolution of the rock was explored in different damage stages. The results show that the shallow-layer granite experiences brittle failure during the triaxial loading test and unloading test, and the rock has a greater damage degree during the unloading test. The crack stress thresholds of these samples vary greatly between tests, but the threshold ratios of all samples are similar in the same crack damage stage. The Mogi-Coulomb strength criterion can better describe the unloading failure strength of the rock. The evolution of the AE parameter characteristics and strain energy differs between the specimens used in different stress path tests. The dissipative strain energy is the largest in Group Ⅱ and the smallest in Group Ⅰ.