Influence of Water Content on the Mechanical Parameters of the Intact Rock and Rock Mass

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to present the influence of the water saturation of the intact rock on different mechanical parameters, such as internal friction angle, cohesion, Hoek-Brown constant (mi ). Analyzing the previously published results, it was found that due to water saturation both the uniaxial compressive strength and tensile strength decrease similarly, i.e. the ratio of these two values is constant, thus the internal friction angle does not change but only the cohesion. Likewise, Hoek-Brown constant (mi ) remains constant; it is independent on the moisture content.
The ratio of the elastic modulus and the uniaxial compressive strength of the intact rock is also calculated. According to the laboratory results, this ratio (namely modulus ratio) is also independent on the water content.
It is shown that the mechanical parameters of the rock mass (such as compressive strength, tensile strength, deformation modulus) similarly depend on the water content than the intact rock.