Effect of pore pressure on damage accumulation in salt

Abstract

Laboratory data acquired from two multistage, triaxial compression creep experiments are presented for bedded salt. The experiments were conducted to study the effect of pore pressure changes on the accumulation of damage (dilatant volumetric strain). The first experiment comprised five constant total stress tests in which the internal pore pressure was incremented during successive stages, while the externally applied axial and radial stresses were maintained constant. The second experiment comprised three constant effective stress tests in which the pore pressure and the externally applied axial and radial stresses were increased in equal increments in successive stages. Volumetric strain rates were determined both before and after the pore pressure changes were made in all tests. The data suggest pore pressure changes made during the constant total stress tests have a greater effect on salt dilation than do changes made during the constant effective stress tests