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In a recent work, the authors demonstrated the merits of the diametrical core deformation technique (DCDT) for stress determination at an excavation face. An analytical model was developed and verified with laboratory tests. This paper aims to validate the DCDT in the field using a well-documented case study from a Canadian underground mine. Rock cores are extracted from the floor of a footwall drive 1000 m below surface for the purpose of estimating stress magnitude and orientation. The DCDT is applied to the extracted cores and the state of stress in the drift floor is estimated. On the other hand, a mine wide FLAC3D model was developed using the geomechanical data and in situ stress regime obtained from a previous study. The model is a pared-down version of a comprehensive FLAC3D mine wide model that simulates past mine-and-fill sequence and was calibrated with various burst criteria and recorded mining-induced seismic events. A comparison of FLAC3D and DCDT in terms of floor stress estimates and orientation shows good agreement. The DCDT could be used as a ground control tool to help detect stress-related ground control issues. Highlights: Extraction of rock cores from a drift floor 1000 m below surface for the purpose of stress estimation. Application of diametrical core deformation technique (DCDT) to estimate the biaxial state of stress—magnitude and orientation—in the floor. Development of a mine-wide 3D numerical model using geomechanical data and in situ stress regime. Validation of DCDT by comparison of stress orientation and magnitude estimates with calibrated numerical model. The comparison shows good agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) and Medusa are spin-on-glasses used for several applications and more specifically for electron-beam lithography. To characterize the thermal densification of these resists on silicon, the mean resist film stress was measured in situ as function of temperature up to 600 °C in a vacuum chamber by the curvature method. The curvature was evaluated from 3D profiles of uncoated and coated dies measured by full field phase shifting interferometry. Three resists were investigated: FOx-15, FOx-25 and Medusa-82. The initial resist stress at room temperature after spin coating and baking is slightly tensile and becomes highly tensile above a certain temperature dependent on the resist. This variation is mainly attributed to resists densification. FOx-15 and FOx-25 start densifying at 500 °C, and FOx-25 densifies more than FOx-15. Medusa-82 is densifying around 300 °C and has the highest tensile stress but the film relaxes beyond 405 °C. In the case of FOx-15, it was found that vacuum annealing prevents densification. Finally, we evaluated the in-plane average coefficient of thermal expansion of the resists from stress measurements during cooling to room temperature. For FOx-15, a CTE equal to 1.5 ppm/K is found, while it is close to 0.0±0.2 ppm/K for FOx-25 and 1.3 ppm/K for Medusa-82.

The in situ stress conditions of reservoirs are the fundamental parameters for determining the arrangements of horizontal boreholes and assessing borehole stability, especially for the exploration and exploitation of unconventional oil and gas. The borehole wall stress relief method (BWSRM) is a new technique that can directly measure three-dimensional (3D) stress without any assumptions regarding the stress field. In deep vertical borehole situations, a new experiment is proposed to prevent electronic components from becoming damp while simultaneously maintaining borehole stability. The effect of drilling fluid pressure on the strain measurement of the stress relief processes is studied. The finite-element model (FEM) simulates the stress relief process and verifies the theoretical solutions under different testing depths. The results show that complete stress relief is impossible under deep vertical borehole conditions, and the wall drilling process changes the stress conditions of the measured points from modified plane strain to triaxial compression. Therefore, the data measured by the strain gauges cannot be directly imported into the original relationships between the measured strains and far-field stress. The comparisons between the original theoretical solutions and FEM results indicate that if the confining pressure is ignored, then the maximum error between the measured and real in situ stress components is over 35%. After correcting the estimated strain data using the proposed methods, the stress tensors obtained from theoretical equations are consistent with the natural stress tensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable and low-cost in situ stress measurement is important for design and operation of underground excavations. Deformation rate analysis (DRA) is a rock memory stress determination method based on carrying out cyclic, non-destructive uniaxial compression tests on rock cores in the laboratory. The DRA method may not be applicable to rock cores with low uniaxial compressive strength as fractures or failure may be induced during loading. A triaxial DRA test was proposed with the intention of increasing rock strength by confining stresses in the course of DRA testing. However, triaxial DRA tests overestimate the pre-stress (the maximum previous stress), with the error increasing as the confining stress increases. To solve this problem, we develop a simple DRA model and propose linear triaxial deformation rate analysis (LDRA) based on performing triaxial DRA tests with different confining stresses and reconstruction of the pre-stress using linear regression. The LDRA method is demonstrated to work well on determining the maximum previous stresses memorized in rocks. Highlights: We conduct deformation rate analysis (DRA) in uniaxial compression and triaxial compression. We find that triaxial DRA tests overestimate the pre-stress, the stronger the higher the confining stress. We propose linear triaxial deformation rate analysis based on performing triaxial DRA tests with different confining stresses and reconstruction of the pre-stress using linear regression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ stress measurements have been widely used in various deposition processes for stress detection. The substrate size can affect the uniformity of curvature across the entire surface, which is a major cause of incorrect stress measurements. However, because of the inherent concept of measurement theory and the complexities of the influence of substrate size on measurement accuracy, the underlying nonlinear effects of the rectangular substrate are still not fully understood. We discovered that increasing the substrate size caused an increase in nonlinear effect (nonuniform distribution of curvature radii and stresses in the x and y directions) and surface defects on the rectangular substrate using in situ stress measurement. Furthermore, the bending stiffness of the substrate, which was influenced by the substrate size, was established to illustrate the effect of substrate size on the nonlinear effect. The total stress of the deposit was concentrated at the edge in both the x and y directions, and the deposit at the edge was prone to delamination and cracking. When the substrate size was reduced, the deposit surface did not show obvious defects, and the stress errors in the x and y directions were only 2.34% and 2.54%, respectively. These findings will be beneficial to improve the accuracy of in situ stress measurement and further understand the causes of nonlinear effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adopting 47 sets of in situ stress measurements taken at depths ranging from 417 to 1123 m in a coal mining district in central China by the overcoring method, we characterize the magnitude and orientation of the current stress field and its relationship to tectonism in this district to determine the controls on in situ stress in underground coal energy exploration and seismogeology. The measurements reveal that this district is in a relatively high horizontal stress environment. The stress regimes are generally favorable for strike-slip faulting and reverse faulting and are characterized by σH> σv> σhand σH> σh> σv, revealing that the regional stress field is absolutely dominated by horizontal tectonic stress and reflects a typical tectonic stress field type. The maximum horizontal principal stress is predominantly oriented between the ENE–WSW and WNW–ESE directions and averages nearly E–W,​ which is closely related to the tectonic plate movement and crustal deformation and agrees well with the direction derived from focal mechanism solutions and other stress indicators in and around the region. The current stress field in this district generally inherited the characteristics of the tectonic stress field in the third stage and partially retained the traces generated by the tectonic stress field in the first and second stages. In addition, the frictional parameter μm, which is calculated using the derived stress data, is used as a strong predictor to reflect the capability of the level of crustal stress accumulation. This region is in a state of critical or subcritical equilibrium, and regional faults at shallow depths have a medium to slightly high frictional strength, indicating that some well-oriented faults may theoretically approach or reach frictional equilibrium and that frictional sliding may occur.

In situ stress measurement data was analyzed to estimate the temporal and spatial stress variations at shallow depths in the Longmenshan fault zone (LMSF), prior to and following the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake (WCEQ). Analysis of the stress field related to fault strength and behavior is useful for understanding geodynamic processes and conducting hazard assessments. The shallow stress changes after the WCEQ show clear along‐strike variations. Degrees of stress orientation rotations have a negative correlation with the horizontal principal stress ratios and the WCEQ apparently reduced the magnitude difference between horizontal principal stresses. Taking stress magnitudes and orientation distribution relative to the fault strike into account, we propose an intermediate‐strength of LMSF, with a friction coefficient generally constrained between 0.35 and 0.6. In addition, high‐pressure fluids in the fault zone reduce the effective normal stress and to a certain degree weaken the fault strength. The accumulated stress over a certain period following release of the WCEQ indicates the start of another earthquake cycle. The changing crustal stress field makes the LMSF stable or slipping optimally during geodynamic processes. The segmentation feature of the shallow crustal stress field in the LMSF may imply a different tectonic loading and seismic release processes along the fault. The southwestern section to the epicenter of the WCEQ favors the occurrence of future earthquakes, as high μm in a state of critical failure was present in this area, which indicates that the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes did not release the accumulated stress to a sufficient extent there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in situ stress measurement technique can be used in long-term monitoring of induced stress to obtain three-dimensional stress states in slope engineering. In the monitoring, the ambient temperature fluctuation, “zero” drift of the logging data, and stable power supply should be considered. A dual temperature compensation circuit and experimental calibration techniques are proposed to increase accuracy based on the principle of the CSIRO method and considering the effect of a long-term disturbance of temperature in slope engineering. In view of the characteristics of the stress field distribution of the slope rock, the strain gauge layout scheme for induced stress monitoring of slope rock is modified to achieve the acquisition of three parallel measurements at one measurement and a stress–strain relationship equation for multilayer elastic layers is derived. An in situ stress logging system with the function of transient logging and data-connection in power cut condition is introduced to achieve a continuous correlation of measurement data under power cut conditions. An online cloud platform is established for the slope engineering of Au Mountain Iron Mine in Maanshan City. The results show that the data deviation of logging system is ±14 με with 24 days’ power off, and errors with amount of 15% were corrected by the dual temperature compensation method. The remotely transmitted data reflect the effect of temperature changes and the evolution of strain (induced stress) in real time to satisfy the demand of long-term monitoring of slope engineering.

Deep borehole cores are an important material basis for understanding deep stress conditions and rockburst risk; however, the complex environment of deep boreholes poses many challenges to traditional core orientation techniques, thus limiting the application of cores in fields such as in situ stress measurement. A technical method of restoring the original spatial attitude of nonoriented geological cores on the ground was proposed based on the inherent "trajectory projection consistency" relationship between the borehole and the corresponding core. A prototype machine of core ground reorientation was developed. Using this method and machine, ground reorientation was performed on cores drilled from the deepest shaft in China. Subsequently, the reoriented core acoustic emission (AE) method was conducted to identify the in situ stress within the project area. Meanwhile, measurement accuracy was verified by the stress relief method. The results show that the in situ stress distributions, including the azimuth and the trends in principal stresses by the two methods, are in good agreement and indicate that the historical maximum principal stress in the case of the mine has little abrupt variability with that of the present day. The research results can be used as the design basis for the safe construction of the deepest shaft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydraulic fracturing technique (also termed mini-frac test) is commonly used to estimate the in situ stress field. We recently conducted a mini-frac stress measurement campaign in the newly-established Bedretto Underground Laboratory (BedrettoLab) in the Swiss Alps. Four vertical boreholes, dedicated for stress characterization of the granitic rock mass, hosted a total of 19 mini-frac test intervals. Systematic pressure transient analysis was performed to carefully estimate the magnitude of the least principal stress ( S 3 ). We compared five different methods (inflection point, bilinear pressure decay rate, tangent, fracture compliance, and jacking pressure) to identify an adequate approach best suited for our test scale and the host rock mass. We found that the methods used to determine the fracture closure pressure underestimate the magnitude of S 3 , presumably due to the rapid closure of the hydraulic fracture after shut-in. The most consistent results were found using the inflection point and bilinear pressure decay rate method, which both determine the (instantaneous) shut-in pressure as the proxy for the S 3 magnitude. The determined shut-in pressure, or S 3 magnitude, is 14.6 ± 1.4 MPa from the inflection point method. This allowed us to further estimate the stress environment around the BedrettoLab, which is transitional between normal and strike-slip faulting. The measured local pore pressures from extended shut-in periods are between 2.0 and 5.6 MPa, significantly below hydrostatic. A combination of drainage, cooling, and the excavation damage zone of the tunnel may have significantly perturbed the in situ stress field in the vicinity of the BedrettoLab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the crustal stress field is critical to understanding the driving forces and processes responsible for seismicity. The purpose of this article is to systematically comment on the interaction between the stress state and seismicity, as well as the potential application value and limitations of stress/strain observations in earthquake research. In situ stress measurements and stress/strain monitoring have been employed to detect the stress/strain anomalies and the corresponding earthquake precursors, and great progress has been made. There are some correlations between seismicity and the stress field from stress monitoring before and after an earthquake. However, the relationship between stress changes and the mechanism of earthquake genesis cannot be well explained because of a lack of strong evidence. Moreover, the extremely shallow depth of stress/strain measurements relative to the focal depth limits the efficacy and persuasiveness. Therefore, it is necessary to master the mechanical state and strain energy accumulation at the earthquake source during the adjustment of the regional stress field in earthquake prediction. In addition, emphasis should be placed on investigations of the genesis of abnormal stress/strain and action mode and scope of the stress/strain to study the mechanism of earthquake precursor anomalies and earthquake focal mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contemporary stress field in and around a gold mine area (GMA) and its seismological implications were investigated based on overcoring stress measurements and focal mechanism solutions. The results indicate that the stress level of the GMA appears to be relatively high, and stress states are characterized by reverse and strike-slip faulting stress regimes, which vary somewhat with depth. The stress field is governed by the maximum horizontal stress, which is well oriented along the WNW–ESE or approximately E-W directions, revealing a uniform stress direction. This dominant stress orientation is identical to the regional tectonic stress field interpreted by various independent geological indicators, and the stress field is mainly caused by the combined actions of far-field, near-field, and local forces. The stress conditions suggest that this region is in the subcritical equilibrium state, so frictional sliding probably occurs along the pre-existing and cohesionless faults that are optimally oriented to the stress field. Moreover, the ratio of the maximum shear stress to the effective mean principal stress (μm) values of 0.3 to 0.5 can be used as the lower and upper critical bounds for future geodynamic-related prediction analysis in and around the GMA and other possible regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the thermal stress alterations generated in a tungsten fiber reinforced titanium composite (W/Ti composite) were evaluated by the neutron stress measurement method at cryogenic temperatures. The W/Ti composite thermal loads were repeated from room temperature to the cryogenic temperature (10 K), and alterations in thermal residual stress were evaluated using the neutron in situ stress measurement method. In this measurement, the stress alterations in the titanium matrix and the tungsten fibers were measured. This measurement was carried out by TAKUMI (MLF-BL19) of J-PARC, a neutron research facility in the Japan Atomic Agency. The measurement method of TAKUMI is the time-of-flight (TOF) method. Owing to this measurement method, the measurement time was significantly shortened compared to the angle-dispersion type measurement by a diffractometer. As a result of the measurement, large compressive stresses of about 1 GPa were generated in the tungsten fibers, and tensile stresses of about 100 MPa existed in the titanium matrix. The thermal stresses due to the temperature change between room temperature and cryogenic temperature is caused by the difference of thermal expansions between the tungsten fibers and the titanium matrix, and these stress values can be approximated by a simple elastic theory equation.

To more accurately determine the stress distribution law of coal and rock masses containing faults, the fA42 reverse fault of the Shihao coal mine is taken as an example to carry out an in situ stress test near the fault, and multilinear regression analysis is used to invert the tectonic stress field of the fault. The results show that the magnitude of the in situ stress in the area near the reverse fault varies greatly, and the main influence area of the fault is within 100 m of the fault. Outside the fault-affected area, the maximum principal stress and maximum shear stress of each rock layer decrease with the rock strength. The maximum principal stress and the maximum shear stress magnitudes of the coal seam increase closer to the fault, whereas those of the sandy mudstone and limestone first decrease and then increase sharply. The maximum value of the maximum principal stress and maximum shear stress of each rock layer are obtained at the fault interface. The research method in this paper accurately inverts the fault tectonic stress field, which has a certain guiding significance for the safe mining of coal mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The northwest region of the Jiaodong Peninsula has a complex geological environment that experiences frequent microseismic activity. In situ stress magnitudes and orientations in three underground gold mines (i.e., Sanshandao, Xincheng, and Linglong gold mines) were obtained by an improved overcoring technique with a hollow inclusion strain gauge from 53 measuring points, and the distribution characteristics of the in situ stress field were analyzed. The results show that the stress field is characterized by σH > σh > σv and σH > σv > σh (where σH, σh, and σv are maximum horizontal, minimum horizontal, and vertical principal stresses, respectively). The regional stress field is dominated by the horizontal principal stress in the measurement depth ranges. The σH is dominantly oriented in the NWW–SEE or near E–W direction, which is, in general, in agreement with those interpreted by focal mechanism solutions, geodesic leveling analysis, and GPS data. The stress accumulation in the study area is at moderate and low levels under the present tectonic stress state, and the superficial crust is in a relatively stable state. The stress accumulation in the thrust stress state and the strike-slip stress state are mostly moderate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we obtained information from twenty-one measurement points on the stress magnitudes and orientations of a gold mine in the Ludong area. We used the overcoring technique with an improved hollow inclusion strain gauge and then analyzed the distribution characteristics of the in situ stress field. The results indicate that the stress field is characterized by σH > σh > σv and σH > σv > σh (where σH, σh, and σv are the maximum horizontal, minimum horizontal, and vertical principal stresses, respectively). The regional stress field is dominated by horizontal principal stress. The σH, σh, and σv values show a gradual increasing trend with depth. The σH is predominantly oriented in the NWW-SEE or near-EW direction. We also confirmed the correspondence between the measured stress field and the regional geological structure. In addition, based on the measured stress data, we discuss the implications of the in situ stress with respect to fault activity in the mine area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possibilities of achieving reductions in overpotentials and improvements in mechanical integrity, upon electrochemical Li-alloying/dealloying, by inducing pre-cycling tensile residual stress via facile annealing treatment have been demonstrated in this work. Monitoring of the stress developments in-situ during galvanostatic lithiation/delithiation of Al film electrodes indicated that the mechanical degradations occurred primarily during potential plateaus corresponding to the Al ↔ AlLi first-order phase transformations. Such degradations tended to get suppressed, as did the overpotentials needed to drive the electrochemical Li-alloying/dealloying (including initiation of the phase transformation), in the presence of the tensile residual stress. The improved mechanical integrity agreed with features observed in the stress profiles recorded in real-time during galvanostatic cycling. The magnitudes for the reductions in the overpotentials agreed with theoretical estimation based on the incremental residual stress. This exploratory idea related to engineering of residual stress to improve various electrochemical performances may be applicable also to other 'alloying reaction' based electrode materials. Graphical Abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ stress is an essential parameter that directly affects all engineering construction and scientific research in deep rock masses. The shapes of deep borehole are often highly irregular, so that the traditional in situ stress measurement methods based on the assumption of circular or cylindrical boreholes are no longer applicable. We propose a stress relief correction method considering irregular borehole shape using the complex function method of elasticity. The conformal mapping function is introduced to project the irregular shape into a unit circle and the relationship between the strains at the borehole wall and the far-field in situ stress components are solved by the Cauchy integral methods. The results show the following: (1) The stress results from the stress relief correction method are consistent with the theoretical solutions and numerical simulation results for circular and square boreholes. (2) The irregular borehole shape significantly changes the distribution of stress magnitude and the direction of strain measurement on the borehole wall. The stress relief correction method considering irregular borehole shapes provides an essential theoretical basis for deep rock mass engineering construction and deep oil and gas field exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The directional dependency of the acoustic emission (AE) and deformation rate analysis (DRA) methods was analyzed, based on the contact bond model in the two-dimensional particle flow code (PFC2D) in two types of rocks, the coarse-grained sandstone and Aue granite. Each type of rocks had two shapes, the Brazilian disk and a square shape. The mechanical behaviors of the numerical model had already been verified to be in agreement with those of the physical specimens in previous research. Three loading protocols with different loading cycles in two orthogonal directions were specially designed in the numerical tests. The results show that no memory effect is observed in the second loading in the orthogonal direction. However, both the cumulative crack number of the second loading and the differential strain value at the inflection point are influenced by the first loading in the orthogonal direction.

Si is known for cracking and delamination during electrochemical cycling of a battery due to the large volume change associated with Li insertion and extraction. However, it has been found experimentally that patterned Si island electrodes that are 200 nm thick and less than 7 μm wide can deform in a purely elastic manner. Inspired by this, we performed in situ Raman stress characterization of model poly-crystalline Si island electrodes using an electrochemical cell coupled with an immersion objective lens and designed for a short working distance. A 5 μm wide Si island electrode showed a parabolic stress profile during lithiation, while for a 15 μm Si island electrode, a stress plateau in the center of the electrode was observed. A continuum model with coupled electro-chemo-mechanical (ECM) physics was established to understand the stress measurement. A qualitative agreement was reached between modeling and experimental data, and the critical size effect could be explained by the Li diffusive flux as governed by competition between the Li concentration and hydrostatic stress gradients. Below the critical size, the stress gradient drives Li toward the edges, where the electrode volume is free to expand, while above the critical size, the stress plateau inhibits Li diffusion to the edge and forces destructive stress relief by cracking. This work represents a promising methodology for in situ characterization of ECM coupling in battery electrodes, with suggestions provided for further improvement.

Accurate measurements of in situ stress in deep soft rocks are needed to design the tunnel support system and to evaluate the stress redistribution process. Due to the difficulty and weakness of current methods in deep soft rock stress measurement, a new one, rheological stress recovery method to determine the three-dimensional stress tensor is proposed. It is supposed that rock stresses will recover gradually with time and can be measured by embedding transducers into the borehole. According to this method, an original three-dimensional pressure transducer to measure rock stresses is designed and manufactured. In order to investigate the accuracy of the measurement, calibration test and model test have been performed. Both uniaxial and tri-axial calibration tests are conducted to evaluate the transducer performance. For model test, the cement mortar was used to simulate the effect of the surrounding materials. This test considered different rock strengths as well as different types of loading. The results indicate that this transducer is good for stress measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tungsten fiber reinforced titanium composite (/) was produced by the spot welding method. The internal stress alteration of the / composite was measured by the neutron diffractometer, DN1, which had been installed at beam port #6 in National Nuclear Energy Agency Indonesia. The two-dimensional detector and cryostat system were mounted on the DN1 diffractometer, and the residual stress alterations were measured by the in situ neutron stress measurement technique under the cooling cycles from 300 K to 10 K. Residual stresses in tungsten fiber were investigated at several temperatures. In the longitudinal fiber direction, the thermal residual stresses of tungsten fiber became a large compressive state and represented the maximum value is about -950 MPa. The calculated results of the simple elastic model agreed with the experimental results of the in situ thermal stress measurement qualitatively. It is assumed that the stresses in the fiber longitudinal direction are the dominant stresses in the / composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crustal tectonic activities are essentially the consequences of the accumulation and release of in situ stress. Therefore, studying the stress state near active faults is important for understanding crustal dynamics and earthquake occurrences. In this paper, using in situ stress measurement results obtained by hydraulic fracturing in the vicinity of the Longmenshan fault zone before and after the Wenchuan Ms 8.0 earthquake and finite element modeling, the variation of stress state before and after the Wenchuan Ms 8.0 earthquake is investigated. The results show that the shear stress, which is proportional to the difference between principal stresses, increases with depth and distance from the active fault in the calm period or after the earthquakes, and tends to approach to the regional stress level outside the zone influenced by the fault. This distribution appears to gradually reverse with time and the change of fault properties such as frictional strength. With an increase in friction coefficient, low stress areas are reduced and areas with increased stress accumulation are more obvious near the fault. In sections of the fault with high frictional strengths, in situ stress clearly increases in the fault. Stress accumulates more rapidly in the fault zone relative to the surrounding areas, eventually leading to a stress field that peaks at the fault zone. Such a reversal in the stress field between the fault zone and surrounding areas in the magnitude of the stress field is a potential indicator for the occurrence of strong earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report here direct measurements (in situ monitoring) of stress evolution and plastic deformation due solely to first-order phase transformations during lithiation/delithiation of Sn thin films. The ‘stress plateaus’ observed during galvanostatic cycling against Li coincided with the ‘potential (cell voltage) plateaus’ corresponding to two-phase regimes. Preliminary analysis attributes this behaviour to stresses corresponding to eigenstrains associated with the formation of new intermetallic Sn–Li phases with significantly different molar volumes than the parent phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This technical note summarizes and discusses the results of the in situ stress measurements by hydraulic fracturing conducted in 7 holes at depths ranging from 21 to 111m in planned dam sites, and in 13 holes at depths varying from 28 to 532m in planned tunnel sites in the Western Route of South to North Water Transfer Project in China. The measured maximum and minimum horizontal principal stresses increase linearly with depth in tunnel sites, and piecewise-linearly in dam areas. The horizontal stresses are greater than the vertical stress, indicating a thrust faulting regime at all tested locations. Such a stress regime is confirmed by local geological structures. The direction of the maximum horizontal principal stress is generally NEE–SWW, which is highly correlated with the tectonic plate movement and crustal deformation in the study area, and consistent with that revealed by focal mechanism solutions from earthquakes. The results in the present study may provide in situ stress information for the design of planned dams and tunnels, and make a good complement to the World Stress Map. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The variation of in situ stress before and after earthquakes is an issue studied by geologists. In this paper, on the basis of the fault slip dislocation model of Wenchuan Ms8.0 earthquake, the changes of co-seismic displacement and the distribution functions of stress tensor around the Longmen Shan fault zone are calculated. The results show that the co-seismic maximum surface displacement is 4.9 m in the horizontal direction and 6.5 m in the vertical direction, which is almost consistent with the on-site survey and GPS observations. The co-seismic maximum horizontal stress in the hanging wall and footwall decreased sharply as the distance from the Longmen Shan fault zone increased. However, the vertical stress and minimum horizontal stress increased in the footwall and in some areas of the hanging wall. The study of the co-seismic displacement and stress was mainly focused on the long and narrow region along the Longmen Shan fault zone, which coincides with the distribution of the earthquake aftershocks. Therefore, the co-seismic stress only affects the aftershocks, and does not affect distant faults and seismic activities. The results are almost consistent with in situ stress measurements at the two sites before and after Wenchuan Ms8.0 earthquake. Along the fault plane, the co-seismic shear stress in the dip direction is larger than that in the strike direction, which indicates that the faulting mechanism of the Longmen Shan fault zone is a dominant thrust with minor strike-slipping. The results can be used as a reference value for future studies of earthquake mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper describes the studies and the in situ stress measurements carried out to support the stability analysis of underground ornamental stones quarries. In particular, this paper describes the findings, evidence and analysis carried out at the Ravaccione and Fantiscritti quarries, which are located in the Carrara basin, Italy. The main activities carried out during the study are starting with the characterization of the rock mass which has been done through the interpretation of data obtained from in situ geostructural surveys, combining the geometrical and mechanical characteristics of the discontinuities with the mechanical features of the rock matrix in order to assess the proper rock index in accordance with the more diffused classification systems. Further consideration regarding the tectonic stress orientation are done through the observation of kinematic indicators on brittle structures-such as faults, fractures s.l. (joints s.s., and fractures with no evidence of movement) and systems of conjugated fractures, in order to evaluate the tectonic stress main orientation for the studied area. Then several in situ measurements of actual state of stress on various location inside the Ravaccione and Fantiscritti quarries where carried out using CSIRO cells. This preliminary work lead to the geometric reconstruction of the rock mass, carried out using the computer code Resoblock®. This phase allowed, once the current excavation geometry was given, to define the geometry of a discontinuous rock mass model on which, thereafter, a numerical simulations was carried out using the computer code 3DEC®. At last, the comparison between the numerical model results and the in situ tests allowed the back analysis of the site and lead to a most satisfying model calibration to be used for the provisional analysis of further excavation development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A series of NiTi thin films of approximately 450nm thickness, with a range of compositions from 48 to 51at.% Ni, were magnetron-sputter deposited from elementary targets of Ni and Ti. The depositions were carried out at 450°C. The crystal structure, surface morphology and mechanical properties were studied using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and nanoindentation. In situ wafer curvature measurements were performed to study the stress evolution during deposition of films. Depending on composition, different stress development is observed during film growth. In this work, we investigate the relation between the changeover in stress development and the onset of crystallization and subsequent grain growth. Measurement of substrate curvature, in situ and ex situ, yields thermal stress. From nanoindentation we obtained the elastic modulus of the NiTi films. From the obtained values of film thermal stress and elastic modulus the coefficient of thermal expansion for the composition range was determined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We report in situ measurements of stress evolution in a silicon thin-film electrode during electrochemical lithiation and delithiation by using the multi-beam optical sensor (MOS) technique. Upon lithiation, due to substrate constraint, the silicon electrode initially undergoes elastic deformation, resulting in rapid rise of compressive stress. The electrode begins to deform plastically at a compressive stress of ca. −1.75GPa; subsequent lithiation results in continued plastic strain, dissipating mechanical energy. Upon delithiation, the electrode first undergoes elastic straining in the opposite direction, leading to a tensile stress of ca. 1GPa; subsequently, it deforms plastically during the rest of delithiation. The plastic flow stress evolves continuously with lithium concentration. Thus, mechanical energy is dissipated in plastic deformation during both lithiation and delithiation, and it can be calculated from the stress measurements; we show that it is comparable to the polarization loss. Upon current interruption, both the film stress and the electrode potential relax with similar time constants, suggesting that stress contributes significantly to the chemical potential of lithiated silicon. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We carried out hydraulic fracturing tests in hollow cylinders of Tablerock sandstone subjected to vertical (σ ν ), confining (σ h ) and pore ( P o ) pressures. Borehole fluid was injected at a constant flow rate until a peak pressure was reached, and vertical fracture was observed. Based on the analysis of pressure-time records, we submit that breakdown occurs before peak pressure P p in the first cycle. In a series of tests in which σ h , σ ν , and P 0 were kept constant throughout, breakdown pressure P c increased significantly with wellbore pressurization rate, and appeared to asymptotically approach to an upper and lower bound corresponding to fast and slow rates, respectively as expected by Detournay and Cheng (1992). Another series of tests conducted at a preset pressurization rate in unjacketed specimens (σ h = P o ) revealed that ( P c - P o ) increased with confining/pore pressure, contrary to the constant ( P c - P o ) based on the Terzaghi’s effective stress law. We modified the Detournay-Cheng criterion by replacing the Terzaghi’s effective stress with a general effective stress. More series of hydraulic fracturing tests in jacketed specimens reinforced the applicability of the modified Detournay-Cheng criterion to Tablerock sandstone in terms of correctly estimating the relationship between the unknown far-field stress and the typically known test parameters: breakdown pressure, initial pore pressure and pressurization rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, die stresses in wire bonded chip-on-board (COB) packages have been measured using special (111) silicon stress test chips. The test die incorporate an array of optimized eight-element dual polarity piezoresistive sensor rosettes, which are uniquely capable of evaluating the complete stress state (six stress components) at points on the surface of the die. Sensor resistance measurements were recorded before packaging, after die attachment, and throughout the encapsulant cure process. Using the appropriate theoretical equations, the stresses at sites on the die surface have been calculated from the raw sensor resistance data. Also, three-dimensional (3-D) nonlinear finite element simulations of the chip-on-board packages were performed, and the stress predictions were correlated with the experimental test chip data [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Here an in situ system is presented to simultaneously study the evolution of both morphology and stress in the silicon thin film electrode during lithiation and delithiation. Owing to the specific design with two observation windows in the in situ cell, both the curvature and color of the silicon thin-film electrodes upon lithiation and delithiation processes can be measured by multi-optical sensor and optical microscope. By such colorimetric method, the color evolution can be used to represent the thickness of silicon thin film electrode, and the quantitative relationship can be obtained by in situ atomic force microscope and optical microscopy experiments. Combining the real thickness with Stoney equation, the accurate stress of the Li x Si film can be obtained during the electrochemical cycles. • Simultaneous stress measurement and optical observation system for Si electrode. • Correction of theoretical expansion thickness of Si film by colorimetric method. • Stress evolution by multi optical sensor setup and correction expansion thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]