Crack initiation mechanism and meso-crack evolution of pre-fabricated cracked sandstone specimens under uniaxial loading

The instability and failure of engineered rock masses are influenced by crack initiation and propagation. Uniaxial compression and acoustic emission (AE) experiments were conducted on cracked sandstone. The effect of the crack's dip on the crack initiation was investigated using fracture mechanics. The crack propagation was investigated based on stress-strain curves, AE multi-parameter characteristics, and failure modes. The results show that the crack initiation occurs at the tip of the pre-fabricated crack, and the crack initiation angle increases from 0 to 70 as the dip angle increases from 0 to 90. The fracture strength kcr is derived varies in a U-shaped pattern as B increased, and the superior crack angle Bm is between 36.2 and 36.6 and is influenced by the properties of the rock and the crack surface. Low-strength, large-scale tensile cracks form during the crack initiation in the cracked sandstone, corresponding to the start of the AE energy, the first decrease in the b-value, and a low r-value. When macroscopic surface cracks form in the cracked sandstone, high-strength, large-scale shear cracks form, resulting in a rapid increase in the AE energy, a second decrease in the b-value and an abrupt increase in the r-value. This research has significant theoretical implications for rock failure mechanisms and establishment of damage indicators in underground engineering.