TESTS OF STRAIN ANALYSIS BY EXPERIMENTAL DEFORMATION

The linearisation method and Robin's method of strain analysis of granular materials yield accurate strain estimates for a variety of materials deformed experimentally in pure shear. The breakdown of continuum behaviour at high pore fluid pressures causes the methods to overestimate the strain because they do not take added rigid-body rotation into account. Both methods tolerate some variation in initial shape ratio and some degree of initial preferred orientation at modest strains. Results of tests on polymict sandstone indicate that the lower than average ductility of competent clasts may be balanced against an unfavourable degree of perferred orientation to yield an improved strain estimate.