Acoustic Measurements of the Anisotropy of Dynamic Elastic and Poromechanics Moduli under Three Stress/Strain Pathways
Publication: Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 131, Issue 9
Abstract
A series of triaxial compression experiments have been conducted to investigate the effects of induced stress on the anisotropy developed in dynamic elastic and poroelastic parameters in rocks. The measurements were accomplished by utilizing an array of piezoelectric compressional and shear wave sensors mounted around a cylindrical sample of porous Berea sandstone. Three different types of applied states of stress were investigated using hydrostatic, triaxial, and uniaxial strain experiments. During the hydrostatic experiment, where an isotropic state of stress was applied to an isotropic porous rock, the vertical and horizontal acoustic velocities and dynamic elastic moduli increased as pressure was applied and no evidence of stress induced anisotropy was visible. The poroelastic moduli (Biot’s effective stress parameter, ) decreased during the test but also with no evidence of anisotropy. The triaxial compression test involved an axisymmetric application of stress with an axial stress greater than the two constant equal lateral stresses. During this test a marked anisotropy developed in the acoustic velocities, and in the dynamic elastic and poroelastic moduli. As axial stress increased the magnitude of the anisotropy increased as well. The uniaxial strain test involved axisymmetric application of stresses with increasing axial and lateral stresses but while maintaining a zero lateral strain condition. The uniaxial strain test exhibited a quite different behavior from either the triaxial or hydrostatic tests. As both the axial and lateral stresses were increased, an anisotropy developed early in the loading phase but then was effectively “locked in” with little or no change in the magnitude of the values of the acoustic velocities, or the dynamic elastic and poroelastic parameters as stresses were increased. These experimental results show that the application of triaxial states of stress induced significant anisotropy in the elastic and poroelastic parameters in porous rock, while under the uniaxial strain condition the poromechanics, Biot’s effective stress parameter, exhibited the largest variation among the three test conditions.
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Acknowledgments
This research project was supported by The University of Oklahoma PoroMechanics Institute Consortium of Oil and Gas companies, the United States Department of Energy (DOEDEFC26-01BC15302), and the W.M. Keck Foundation through its support to establish the Keck Geomechanical Acoustical Imaging Laboratory. Thanks also to Mr. John Brumley for providing technical assistance in the laboratory and Dr. Mazen Kanj for helpful discussions.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 131 • Issue 9 • September 2005
Pages: 937 - 946
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 4, 2004
Accepted: Dec 1, 2004
Published online: Sep 1, 2005
Published in print: Sep 2005
Notes
Note. Associate Editor: Alexander H.-D. Cheng
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