Deciphering the Mechanical Response and Failure Characteristics of Grouted Sandstone Under Uniaxial/Cyclic Conditions: A Novel Acoustic Emission-Based Early Warning Method
摘要
Grouting is a crucial engineering technique for enhancing the mechanical performance of fractured rock masses and surrounding rock stability. The reinforcement effectiveness of grouting materials varies significantly with different loading conditions. In this study, sulphoaluminate cement (SAC), ultrafine cement (UFC), and epoxy resin (EP) were selected to reinforce single-fractured sandstone specimens. Uniaxial compression and cyclic loading–unloading tests [all exceeding 300 s in duration] were conducted to investigate the mechanical behavior and failure mechanisms of grouted specimens under static and quasi-static loads with acoustic emission (AE) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results reveal that grouting remarkably elevated the peak strength and deformation modulus of the fractured sandstone. Among them, EP, exhibiting the best performance under cyclic loading, is more suitable for quasi-static engineering applications. The loading path influenced the microcrack distribution, with tensile cracks dominated (77.9–92.8%) under uniaxial compression, while the proportion of shear cracks increased to 52.2–57.7% under cyclic loading. The grout–rock interface was identified as the primary weak zone, although cyclic loading induced particle breakage in cement-based materials, the high viscosity and anti-disintegration capacity of EP effectively suppressed crack propagation. A new AE-based early warning method was proposed following critical slowing-down theory and multifractal generalized spectrum analysis, where variance served as an effective precursor under static loading (84–143 s in advance), and autocorrelation was more sensitive under cyclic loading (100–258 s in advance). These findings lay a theoretical foundation for selecting grouting materials and monitoring grouted rock masses under varying stress conditions.