A Rheological Model of Sandstones considering Response to Thermal Treatment

Time-dependent rheological response of geomaterials to thermal treatment is a crucial issue in geothermal energy utilization and deep mineral mining. This response, however, has not yet been fully considered in the existing rheological constitutive models for sandstones. In order to experimentally investigate such responses and establish the associated rheological constitutive model, this study considers the sandstone specimens which have been thermally treated under different temperatures. The triaxial rheological test in conjunction with the scanning electron microscope is employed in the investigation to observe the mechanically and macro-/micromorphologically rheological response. Investigation results show that the thermal treatment induces microcracks and microdefects, and subsequently, they propagate during the creep. As a consequence, the heterogeneous deformation occurs, and macrocracks are present, leading to the irregular fluctuation and mutation in strain over time. A higher temperature contributes to a more severe structure damage and in turn reduces the intactness of sandstones and elevates the rheological response. The investigation allows successful establishment of a three-dimensional constitutive equation considering the instantaneous elastic response to thermal treatment. Based on the equation, a nonlinear visco-elastoplastic rheological constitutive model is developed for sandstones. Comparison with three existing rheological models shows that the model developed in this study could well represent the rheological process of the thermally treated sandstones.