Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Behavior of Gypsum Rock
Summary
Gypsum rock exhibits a distinctive coupling of thermal, hydraulic and mechanical processes that governs its performance in natural and engineered settings. Its crystalline structure incorporates water molecules within layers of calcium sulfate, rendering the material exceptionally sensitive to changes in temperature and moisture. Upon wetting, gypsum dissolves and its internal porosity increases, leading to reductions in stiffness and strength, while exposure to elevated temperatures drives dehydration reactions that alter mineralogy and induce microcracking. Under mechanical loading, stress concentrations around pores and flaws give rise to brittle fracture at low confining pressures and a transition to ductile, shear-controlled deformation under higher temperatures or long-term loads. These interlinked processes control the short-term response of gypsum in tunnel linings, underground storage caverns and mining pillars, as well as its long-term stability under variable climate or geothermal conditions. Advances in multiscale imaging and acoustic emission monitoring have revealed how microstructural damage evolves under coupled thermal-hydro-mechanical stimuli, informing predictive models for excavation support design and hazard mitigation in gypsum-bearing terrains.
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Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Behavior of Gypsum Rock publication trend
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Technical terms
Elastic modulus: A measure of a material’s stiffness, defined as the ratio of stress to elastic strain under uniaxial loading.
Poisson’s ratio: The negative ratio of transverse to axial strain in a material subjected to uniaxial stress, indicating lateral deformation behaviour.
Acoustic emission (AE): Transient elastic waves generated by sudden internal microcrack events, used to monitor damage evolution in rocks.
Creep: Time-dependent, irreversible deformation under constant stress, often exacerbated by moisture and elevated temperatures.
References
- Softening Damage Analysis of Gypsum Rock With Water Immersion Time Based on Laboratory Experiment. IEEE Access (2019).
- Macro-Microscopic Deterioration Behavior of Gypsum Rock after Wetting and Its Constitutive Model Based on Acoustic Emission. Minerals (2022).
- Effect of Microstructure and Relative Humidity on Strength and Creep of Gypsum. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (2021).
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