A pore-scale study of fracture dynamics in rock using X-ray micro-CT under ambient freeze-thaw cycling - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu
Article Dans Une Revue Environmental Science and Technology Année : 2015

A pore-scale study of fracture dynamics in rock using X-ray micro-CT under ambient freeze-thaw cycling

T. de Kock
  • Fonction : Auteur
M.A. Boone
  • Fonction : Auteur
T. de Schryver
  • Fonction : Auteur
J. van Stappen
  • Fonction : Auteur
Hannelore Derluyn
B. Masschaele
  • Fonction : Auteur
G. de Schutter
  • Fonction : Auteur
V. Cnudde
  • Fonction : Auteur

Résumé

Freeze-thaw cycling stresses many environments which include porous media such as soil, rock and concrete. Climate change can expose new regions and subject others to a changing freeze-thaw frequency. Therefore, understanding and predicting the effect of freeze-thaw cycles is important in environmental science, the built environment and cultural heritage preservation. In this paper, we explore the possibilities of state-of-the-art micro-CT in studying the pore scale dynamics related to freezing and thawing. The experiments show the development of a fracture network in a porous limestone when cooling to -9.7°C, at which an exothermal temperature peak is a proxy for ice crystallization. The dynamics of the fracture network are visualized with a time frame of 80 s. Theoretical assumptions predict that crystallization in these experiments occurs in pores of 6-20.1 nm under transient conditions. Here, the crystallization-induced stress exceeds rock strength when the local crystal fraction in the pores is 4.3%. The location of fractures is strongly related to preferential water uptake paths and rock texture, which are visually identified. Laboratory, continuous X-ray micro-CT scanning opens new perspectives for the pore-scale study of ice crystallization in porous media as well as for environmental processes related to freeze-thaw fracturing. © 2015 American Chemical Society.
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Dates et versions

hal-01804412 , version 1 (31-05-2018)

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Citer

T. de Kock, M.A. Boone, T. de Schryver, J. van Stappen, Hannelore Derluyn, et al.. A pore-scale study of fracture dynamics in rock using X-ray micro-CT under ambient freeze-thaw cycling. Environmental Science and Technology, 2015, 49 (5), pp.2867-2874. ⟨10.1021/es505738d⟩. ⟨hal-01804412⟩
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