Experimental and numerical analysis of creep deformation behavior of Daejeon granite

Investigation of the time-dependent behavior of rock and the associated mechanisms are of key interest in long-term stability analysis of many engineering applications. In this study, creep tests were performed on Daejeon granite samples of 25.4 mm diameter under uniaxial compression at varying stress levels. The effect of moisture was investigated by testing both air-dried and fully water-saturated samples. The creep behavior of Daejeon granite exhibited three distinctive stages of primary, secondary and tertiary creep. The ultimate strength of granite under a constant stress decreased considerably with time. Saturation and immersion of the test specimen in water markedly increased the total creep strain as well as the secondary creep rate. The experimental creep curves are fitted to Burger's model as well as two other empirical models suggested by previous researchers. A number of the parameters determined for each model are dependent on stress and influenced by the presence of water. Based on the experimental results, an empirical relation between the applied stress and the time-dependent strain is established separately for air-dried and fully water-saturated Daejeon granite.