Effect of Physical Properties on Mechanical Behaviors of Sandstone under Uniaxial and Triaxial Compressions

Mechanical properties of sandstone, such as compressive strength and young’s modulus, are commonly used in the design of geotechnical structures and numerical simulation of underground reservoirs using models such as the digital groundwater, equivalent porous medium, and Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) models. A better understanding of the mechanical behaviors of sandstone under different loading conditions is imperative when assessing the stability of geotechnical structures. This paper highlights the effect of the physical properties (i.e., porosity, mean grain size) and environmental conditions (i.e., water content and confining stress) on uniaxial compressive strength, triaxial compressive strength, and young’s modulus of sandstone. A series of uniaxial and triaxial compression experiments are conducted on sandstone formations from Wyoming. In addition, experimental data on sandstones from the literature are compiled and integrated into this study. Prediction equations for the compressive strengths and young’s modulus of sandstone are established based on commonly available physical properties and known environmental conditions. The results show that the mean Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) decreases as the porosity, water content, and mean grain size increase. Furthermore, a predictive empirical relationship for the triaxial compressive strength is established under different confinements and porosity. The relationship suggests that the mean peak compressive strength increases at a higher confinement and decreases at a higher porosity. The results and recommendations provide a useful framework for evaluating the strength and deformation of most sandstone.