Title: Laboratory investigation into rock fracturing with expansive cement

Authors: Anand Musunuri, Hani Mitri

Addresses: Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, McGill University, 3450 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2A7, Canada. ' Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, McGill University, 3450 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2A7, Canada

Abstract: Expansive cement is powdery material which produces expansive stresses during chemical reaction. This paper examines possible breakage of hard rock under confining loads using expansive cement. Laboratory tests are conducted to assess the maximum expansive pressure produced by expansive cement. This is then used on norite rock samples under load-free and uniaxial loading conditions, to examine crack formation and the time taken for crack development. Test results show that expansive cement is capable of breaking norite rock under uniaxial loading condition. Further testing is required to determine its ability to fracture rock under other loading conditions.

Keywords: expansive cements; betonamit; norite rock; rock fracturing; rock breakage; expansive pressure; crack formation; crack development; fracture analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMME.2009.029318

International Journal of Mining and Mineral Engineering, 2009 Vol.1 No.4, pp.327 - 345

Published online: 19 Nov 2009 *

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