Modelling of electric signals stimulated by bending of rock beams

Byline: P. Kyriazis, C. Anastasiadis, I. Stavrakas, D. Triantis, J. Stonham Experimental laboratory work was conducted to study the electric signals of marble beams that have been subjected to three-point bend tests. The specimens suffered 12 abrupt loading steps up to failure and the corresponding Bending Stimulated Current (BSC) was recorded by means of copper electrodes placed on the lower surface of the sample. Alongside the application of abrupt loading to the samples, BSC peaks were observed and the current followed an exponentially decreasing relaxation process. In this paper the BSC peaks, the total charge and the characteristic relaxation time variables are correlated with each other and are analysed towards the applied loading. The ultimate purpose of this work is the evaluation of the fatigue of the sample using simple criteria.