Estimates of strength and cracking behaviors of pre-flawed granite specimens treated by chemical corrosion under triaxial compression tests

Four types of granite specimens were prepared and treated by chemical corrosion for 5 and 30 days, which were then used to carry out triaxial compression tests under different confining pressures σ 3 . Type A is the intact sample with no preexisting flaws. Types B and C are the samples containing two relatively low-dip flaws and two relatively high-dip flaws, respectively. Type D is the sample including both relatively low-dip and relatively high-dip flaws. The influences of pH value of chemical solutions, flaw distribution, corrosion time and σ 3 on triaxial stress-strain curves and ultimate failure modes are analyzed and discussed. The results show that the pH value of the chemical solution, corrosion time and the arrangement of preexisting flaws play crucial roles in the cracking behaviors of granite specimens. Type A specimens have the largest peak axial deviatoric stress, followed by Type C, Type D, and Type B specimens, respectively. It is because the decrease in the inclination of preexisting flaws induces the weakening effect due to the decrease in the shadow area along the compaction direction. Under a σ 3 of 5 MPa, the peak axial deviatoric stress drops by approximately 40.89%, 29.08%, 4.08%, and 23.53% for pH = 2, 4, 7, and 12, respectively. For intact granite (Type A) specimens, the ultimate failure mode displays a typical shear mode. The connection of two secondary cracks initiated at the tips of preexisting cracks is always the ultimate failure and crack coalescence mode for Type B specimens. The ultimate failure and crack coalescence mode of Types C and D specimens are significantly affected by pH value of the chemical solution, corrosion time and σ 3 , which is different from those of Types A and B specimens due to the differences in flow distributions.