Analysis of Mechanical Properties and Acoustic-Thermal Response Characteristics of Water-Soaked Gabbro

https://doi.org/10.5614/j.eng.technol.sci.2026.58.4.2

Authors

  • Zhi Bin China Road & Bridge Corporation, Beijing 100011,
  • Xu Xiaojing School of Civil Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055,
  • Wang Qijie Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground Space Engineering, Xi’an 710055 https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4334-3190
  • Li Changwei China Road & Bridge Corporation, Beijing 100011
  • Zhang Yutao School of Civil Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055,
  • Song Zhanping Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground Space Engineering, Xi’an 710055
  • Kang Baoxiang Xi'an Vocational University of Automobile, School of Traffic Engineering, Xi'an 710600
Share: Share by email

Abstract

With the national strategy being implemented and taking root in the infrastructure sector, the increased of water erosion in rock formations during railway construction has risen significantly, posing a considerable risk to the stability and structural integrity of engineering rock formations. Consequently, there is a critical need to investigate how water influences the mechanical properties of gabbro. Uniaxial compression experiments were performed on both arid and water-soaked gabbro pieces, simultaneously monitoring the characteristics of acoustic emission (AE) and infrared radiation (IR) response. The Particle Flow Code (PFC) was utilized to examine the microscopic processes of crack propagation, coalescence, and damage progression in the rock pieces. Observations show that water considerably impacts the mechanical characteristics of gabbro. In comparison to arid pieces, the peak strength of water-soaked pieces showed a reduction of 4.98%, while the elastic modulus was diminished by 16.5%. The failure behavior of the pieces shifted progressively from tensile splitting in the arid condition to tensile-shear failure. Both arid and water-soaked pieces displayed pre-shock-main shock patterns in their AE parameters. By creating a damage variable based on cumulative AE ring counts, the damage evolution of the pieces was categorized into three phases: incipient damage, steady damage, and expedited damage phases. Throughout loading and fracturing, the AIRT (average infrared radiation temperature) curve exhibited a downward trend, followed by a sharp rise, featuring a "V"-shaped turn prior to piece failure. The evolution of AIRT in water-soaked pieces showed strong alignment with stress variations. Numerical simulations using PFC revealed that the quantity of shear cracks in water-soaked pieces increased, constituting a larger share of the total cracks in contrast to arid pieces. After loading, water-soaked pieces generated more strong force chains, with the load borne by bonds gradually increasing, making them more susceptible to failure.

How to Cite

Zhi Bin, Xu Xiaojing, Wang Qijie, Li Changwei, Zhang Yutao, Song Zhanping, Kang Baoxiang (2026). Analysis of Mechanical Properties and Acoustic-Thermal Response Characteristics of Water-Soaked Gabbro. Journal of Engineering and Technological Sciences, Vol. 58 No. 4 (2026): Vol. 58 No. 4(2026): August, 485-500. https://doi.org/10.5614/j.eng.technol.sci.2026.58.4.2

Metrics

Download data is not yet available.

References

Cao, K., Ma, L., Wu, Y., Spearing, A. J. S. (Sam), Khan, Naseer. M., Hussain, S., & Ur Rehman, F. (2022). Statistical damage model for dry and saturated rock under uniaxial loading based on infrared radiation for possible stress prediction. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 260, 108134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2021.108134

Chen G, Li T, Wang W, Zhu Z., Chen Z., & Tong O. (2024). Weakening effects of the presence of water on the brittleness of hard sandstone. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 78(3), 1471-1483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-017-1184-3

Cheng, Y., Song, Z., Liu, Z., Tian, X., Qian, W., Lu, X., & Yang, T. (2024). Micro-cracking morphology and dynamic fracturing mechanism of natural brittle sandstone containing layer structure under compression. Construction and Building Materials, 425, 136051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.136051

Cheng, Y., Song, Z., Yang, T., Han, J., Wang, B., & Zhang, Z. (2022). Investigating the aging damage evolution characteristics of layered hard sandstone using digital image correlation. Construction and Building Materials, 353, 128838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.128838

Fan, S., Song, Z., Xu, T., & Zhang, Y. (2022). Investigation of the microstructure damage and mechanical properties evolution of limestone subjected to high-pressure water. Construction and Building Materials, 316, 125871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.125871

Ge, Z., & Sun, Q. (2021). Acoustic emission characteristics of gabbro after microwave heating. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 138, 104616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2021.104616

Huang S, He Y, Liu X, & Xin Z. (2021). Experimental investigation of the influence of dry-wet, freeze-thaw and water immersion treatments on the mechanical strength of the clay-bearing green sandstone. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 138: 104613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2021.104613

Huang S., Yu S. (2022). Effect of water saturation on the strength of sandstones: Experimental investigation and statistical analysis. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 81(8), 323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-02822-9

Jia H, Wang T, Xiang W, Tan L, Shen Y, Yang G. (2018). Influence of water content on the physical and mechanical behaviour of argillaceous siltstone and some microscopic explanations. Chinese Journal of Rock Mechanics and Engineering, 37(7), 1618-1628. 10.13722/j.cnki.jrme.2017.1037

Li W, Cao J, Liu Z, Ma L., Li S., Liu Y., Yue L., & Wang J. (2025). Numerical Simulation of Water-Sand Flow Characteristics in Fractured and Porous Media Within Coal Mining Areas. Mine Water and the Environment, 44, 338-351. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-025-01047-y

Liu, X., Jia, H., Wang, C., Han, L., & Sun, Q. (2024). Dynamic behavior of fractured gabbro treated by high temperatures. Heliyon, 10(19), e38934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38934

Liu, X., Liang, Z., Zhang, Y., Liang, P., & Tian, B. (2018). Experimental study on the monitoring of rockburst in tunnels under dry and saturated conditions using AE and infrared monitoring. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, 82, 517–528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2018.08.011

Ma, L., Muhammad Khan, N., Feroze, T., Sazid, M., Cao, K., Hussain, S., Gao, Q., Alarifi, S. S., & Wang, H. (2024). Prediction of rock loading phases using average IR temperature under shear and uniaxial loading. Infrared Physics & Technology, 136, 105084. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infrared.2023.105084

Muhammad Khan, N., Ma, L., Feroze, T., Wang, D., Cao, K., Gao, Q., Wang, H., Hussain, S., Zhang, Z., & Alarifi, S. S. (2023). Investigating average IR temperature characteristics during shear and tensile cracks in sandstone under different water contents. Infrared Physics & Technology, 135, 104968. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infrared.2023.104968

Song, Z., Xu, X., Tian, X., Wang, T., Song, W., & Cheng, Y. (2024). Study on acoustic emission fracture response and constitutive model of layered sandstone. Geomechanics and Engineering, 39(2), 157–170. https://doi.org/10.12989/gae.2024.39.2.173

Wu Z, Zhang C. (1996). Investigayion of Rock Damage Model and its Mechanical Behaviour. Chinese Journal of Rock Mechanics and Engineering, 1, 55-61.

Xiao, F., He, J., Liu, Z., Shen, Z., & Liu, G. (2019). Analysis on warning signs of damage of coal pieces with different water contents and relevant damage evolution based on AE and infrared characterization. Infrared Physics & Technology, 97, 287–299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infrared.2019.01.007

Xu R., Hu Y., Yan Z., Zhao Y., & Li Z. (2024). Experimental investigation on the effect of water saturation on the failure mechanism and acoustic emission characteristics of sandstone. International Journal of Geomechanics, 24(6), 04024102. https://doi.org/10.1061/IJGNAI.GMENG-8526

Yu Y., Guo W., Liu J., Wu Z., & Xu D. (2025). Experimental-simulation analysis on mechanical degradation and energy evolution characteristics of sandstone under water-rock coupling effects. Scientific Report, 15(1), 18713. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-02557-z

Zhang, H., Lu, K., Zhang, W., Zhou, Y., Yang, G., Li, J., & Huang, C. (2023). A comprehensive study of damage characteristics and AE response mechanism of sandstone with different water contents. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 288, 109392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2023.109392

Zhao K., Yang D., Zeng P., Huang Z., & Teng T. (2021). Effect of water content on the failure pattern and acoustic emission characteristics of red sandstone. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 142, 104709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2021.104709

Zhou, S., Sun, Q., Zhang, H., Meng, H., Gao, Q., & Zhou, Y. (2023). Elemental dissolution characteristics of granite and gabbro under high-temperature water-rock interactions. Science of The Total Environment, 897, 165455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165455

Zhu, J., Chen, X., Chen, J., Chen, H., & Pak, R. Y. S. (2024). Effect of cyclic loading level on mechanical response and microcracking behavior of soaked sandstones: Correlation with water weakening phenomenon. Engineering Geology, 340, 107667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2024.107667

Downloads

Date Log

Submitted
January 28, 2025
Accepted
January 14, 2026
Published
June 9, 2026

Keywords

  • acoustic emission
  • crack evolution
  • infrared radiation
  • mechanical behaviors
  • water-soaked gabbro

Issue

Vol. 58 No. 4 (2026): Vol. 58 No. 4(2026): August

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Analysis of Mechanical Properties and Acoustic-Thermal Response Characteristics of Water-Soaked Gabbro. (2026). Journal of Engineering and Technological Sciences, 58(4), 485-500. https://doi.org/10.5614/j.eng.technol.sci.2026.58.4.2

Similar Articles

1-10 of 88

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.