Experimental study on effect of grouting and high temperature on the anisotropic compressive strength behaviour of soft jointed rocks with an impersistent flaw

This study investigates the effect of different in situ conditions like flaw infill, heat-treatment temperatures, and sample porosities on the anisotropic compressive response of jointed samples with an impersistent flaw. Jointed samples of different porosities are prepared by mixing Plaster of Paris (POP) with different water contents, i.e. 60% (i.e. for lower porosity) and 80% (i.e. for higher porosity). These samples are grouted with different infill materials, i.e. un-grouted, cement and sand-cement (3:1)-bio-concrete (SCB) mix and subsequently subjected to different temperatures, i.e. 100 °C, 200 °C and 300 °C. The results reveal the distinct stages in the stress-strain responses of samples characterized by initial micro-cracks closure, elastic transition, and non-linear response till peak followed by a post-peak behaviour. The un-grouted samples exhibit their lowest strength at 30° joint orientation. The ratios of maximum to minimum strength are 3.11 and 3.22 with varying joint orientations for lower and higher porosity samples, respectively. Strengths of cement and SCB mix grouted samples are increased for all joint orientations ranging between 16.13%-69.83% and 18.04%–73% at low porosity and 22%–48.66% and 27.77%–51.57% at high porosity, respectively as compared to the un-grouted samples. However, the strength of the grouted samples is decreased by 66.94%–75.47% and 77.17%–81.05% at lower porosity, and 79.37%–82.86% and 81.29%–95.55% at higher porosity for cement and for SCB grouts with an increase in the heating temperature from 30 °C to 300 °C, respectively. These observations could be due to the suppression of favourable crack initiation locations, i.e. flaw tips along the samples due to the filling of the crack by grouting and generation of thermal cracks with temperature. The mechanism of strength behaviour is elucidated in detail based on fracture propagation analysis and the anisotropic response of with or, without grouted samples. • To investigate static compressive behaviour of jointed rock with impersistent flaw. • To examine strength behaviour of jointed rock with grouted infill conditions. • To understand mechanical response of Cement and Sand-Cement-Bio-Concrete grouts. • To analyse the effect of thermal treatment on mechanical response of jointed rocks. • To identify the mechanism and crack propagation of jointed rock samples.