Experimental study on deformation and strength characteristics of sandstone with different water contents

Water content is one of the most significant factors affecting the rock deformation and strength characteristics in the rock enginnering. To reveal the deformation and strength characteristics of sandstone with different water contents, the compressive strength tests for sandstone specimens under four different confining levels were carried out and an exponential formulation was put forward to predict the reduction in cohesive strength with water content increasing. Results show that both the elastic modulus and peak stress of sandstone decrease appreciably with water content increasing, but the internal friction angle is independent of the water content. The reduction in compressive strength is mainly attributed to the decrease of the material cohesion. The conclusions obtained in the study are of important value to estimate the wet strength of porous rocks in rock engineering. © 2017 Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Institute of Technology.