Thermally Damaged Granite Undergoes Triaxial Compression Study

Researchers at the Beijing University of Technology conducted a study on the triaxial compressive characteristics of thermally damaged granite following cyclic loading. The study's goal was to investigate the effects of thermal treatments, confining pressures, and cyclic modes on the mechanical responses of thermally damaged granite. The results showed that the peak strength and elastic modulus of the granite first remained constant and then decreased with increasing temperature, while an increasing trend was observed with increasing confining pressure. A predictive method for the peak strength of thermally damaged granite after high-cycle fatigue was also proposed.

Key Takeaways:

• The study found that thermal treatments at various high temperatures (200.0 °C, 400.0 °C, 500.0 °C, and 600.0 °C) were performed on granite, resulting in significant changes in its mechanical properties.
• The study used a triaxial compression test to investigate the mechanical responses of thermally damaged granite subjected to cyclic loading.
• The results indicated that the peak strength and elastic modulus of thermally damaged granite after low-cycle fatigue and high-cycle fatigue first remained constant and then decreased with increasing temperature.
• The effects of temperature and confining pressure on the mechanical properties of the granite were also discussed, showing that higher temperatures exacerbate the variations in the bearing capacity caused by cyclic modes, but confining pressure suppresses this difference.
• A predictive method for the peak strength of thermally damaged granite after high-cycle fatigue was proposed, which can predict the peak strength based on the results obtained after low-cycle fatigue with an acceptable error.
• The study's findings have significant implications for the use of thermally damaged granite in engineering applications.

Statistics:

• The study involved thermal treatments at four different temperatures (200.0 °C, 400.0 °C, 500.0 °C, and 600.0 °C).
• The triaxial compressive test was performed on thermally damaged granite under various confining pressures (0.0 MPa, 1.0 MPa, 3.0 MPa, and 5.0 MPa).
• The results showed that the peak strength and elastic modulus of thermally damaged granite after low-cycle fatigue and high-cycle fatigue first remained constant and then decreased with increasing temperature.
• The proposed predictive method for the peak strength of thermally damaged granite after high-cycle fatigue was found to be accurate, with an acceptable error.

Sources:

• Triaxial compressive failure of thermally damaged granite following low- and high-cycle fatigue loading. Results in Engineering, 2025,26():105142. (Results in Engineering - https://www.journals.elsevier.com/results-in-engineering)
• NewsRx. Beijing University of Technology Researchers Discuss Findings in Engineering (Triaxial compressive failure of thermally damaged granite following low- and high-cycle fatigue loading). Journal of Engineering. June 9, 2025; p 155.