Experimental Studies of Mechanical Properties of Berea Sandstone

Abstract

This paper sets out to identify the mechanical and physical properties of Berea sandstone. This is achieved through research, which also explored the correlation of between the mechanical properties of Berea and the porosity. It delves into the relation between the confining pressure and the mechanical properties of Berea sandstone where it was found that confining pressure variations alters the mechanical properties of the sandstone through its effects on the particle-reorientation, sliding friction and dialatency reduction effect. The dissertation also covers triaxial testing through the AutoLab 2000 machine. Such kind of equipment is designed to assist and support a detailed suite of mechanical rock properties measurements as an operation of the state of temperature and stress. The system operated mainly by offering standard rock mechanics tests, such as unconfined compression, uni-axial strain (K0), hydrostatic compression, confined compression. Varieties of tests were carried out on the Berea samples. The test included permeability, porosity, and ultrasonic velocity tests. From the ultrasonic velocity measurement report, it was observed that the velocities increased in all sample iterations with the increasing of the confining pressure, the Young's modulus in all Berea samples increased. Additionally as a result of the confining pressure increase the P,S1 and S2 wave arrival times increased with the longest time being seen at 10 MPa and the shortest time being seen at 49.9 MPa. Finally, from the permeability and porosity tests it was proved that the values obtained related to the theoretical values. Through achieving this, the objectives of the paper were achieved.

Date of Award	2014
Original language	American English
Supervisor	Mohamed Sassi (Supervisor)