Evalution of the relationship between capillary water absorption and physical-mechanical properties of some sedimentary rocks

Water is an important natural factor affecting the mechanical and physical properties of rock. One of the most important mechanisms that allows water to enter the pores between the grains of the rock is the water absorption potential of the rock. In this study, the relationship between capillary water absorption potential and mechanical and physical properties of limestone, clayey limestone, sandstone, marl and mudstone rock units in an open pit coal mine was evaluated by simple and multiple regression analyses. For this purpose, water absorption, unit volume weight, point loading, uniaxial compressive strength and ultrasonic velocity tests, chemical and petrographic analyses were performed. Capillary water absorption tests were performed at 11 different time intervals between 5 and 7200 minutes. According to the test results, it was determined that the capillary water absorption potential of all rock units significantly affected the physical and mechanical properties of the rock. It was determined that clayey limestone has high, marl has low and other rocks have moderate capillary water absorption values. In simple and multiple regression analyses, it was determined that the most effective parameters in capillary water absorption values were porosity, water absorption by weight, dry density and P wave velocity.