Preparation of synthetic sandstones with variable cementation for studying the physical properties of granular rocks

In this article, we report a new set of procedures to fabricate synthetic analogues of granular rocks. These procedures permit accurate control of the most important structural parameters (i.e., grain size, porosity, cement content). We were thus able to prepare two varieties of synthetic sandstones in which only the cement content significantly varied. Our procedures were also particularly successful in producing materials that were very similar to natural rocks. To demonstrate this similarity, we compared the microstructure, the mechanical properties (i.e., strength, elastic moduli) and the mechanical behaviour (i.e., brittle or ductile) of the synthetic materials to those of various natural sandstones. Following this approach, we were able to gain some insight into the influence of cement on the mechanical behaviour of granular rocks. One important conclusion was the identification of the heterogeneity of the cement distribution as a significant factor controlling the mechanical behaviour.