Study on acoustic emission fracture response and constitutive model of layered sandstone

In the present study, the acoustic emission characteristics of hard sedimentary sandstone with varying bedding dip angles were examined through uniaxial compression tests using a rock mechanics creep apparatus combined with an acoustic emission system. The deformation and failure behavior of the sandstone was analyzed by correlating acoustic emission parameters with stress over time. A damage constitutive model was developed, incorporating cumulative acoustic emission ringing counts as a key parameter, with time acting as the intermediary. The findings indicate that, despite the differences in bedding dip angles, the stress-strain curves of the samples follow a similar pattern throughout the loading process, passing through four distinct phases: compaction, elastic deformation, yielding, and post-peak failure. The fracture patterns of the sandstone are influenced by the dip angle of the bedding. Acoustic emission parameters, including the ringing count, cumulative ringing count, and energy, align with these four stages of the stress-strain curve. During the compaction and elastic deformation phases, acoustic emissions remain in a quite state, with only brief spikes at points of rapid stress change. In the unstable fracture stage, acoustic emissions become highly active, while they return to a quite state in the post-fracture stage. The RA value of the acoustic emission displays a banded pattern as time progresses, with areas of dense clustering. When the stress curve declines, RA values enter an active period, mainly associated with the generation of shear cracks. Conversely, during periods of smooth stress progression, RA values remain in a quiet state, primarily linked to the formation of tensile cracks. The time-based damage constitutive model for layered sandstone effectively captures the entire process of rock fracture development.