Experimental Study on the Mechanical Properties and Deformation Failure Characteristics of Sandstone under Graded Equal Amplitude Cyclic Loading and Unloading

Experimental Study on the Mechanical Properties and Deformation Failure Characteristics of Sandstone under Graded Equal Amplitude Cyclic Loading and Unloading | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Experimental Study on the Mechanical Properties and Deformation Failure Characteristics of Sandstone under Graded Equal Amplitude Cyclic Loading and Unloading Zhiwei NI, Jie Li, Ke Qin, Xiaogang WU, Junxing ZHU, Shiming ZHOU This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5802181/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 06 Aug, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract To investigate the effects of graded equal amplitude cyclic loading on rock deformation and failure, this study examines the influence of confining pressure and upper limit cyclic stress on the deformation parameters, stress-strain hysteresis curves, and macroscopic failure characteristics of sandstone during cyclic loading and unloading processes. Through a series of three-stage cyclic loading and unloading tests conducted under varying confining pressures, the findings indicate the following: The stress-strain curves of cyclic loading and unloading exhibit concave shapes, with closely aligned curves. As the confining pressure and upper limit stress increase, the hysteresis loop curves become progressively sparser, with their areas expanding. Low confining pressures and upper limit stresses inhibit the growth of circumferential strain. Compared to conventional triaxial tests, the peak strength, circumferential peak strain, and elastic modulus of sandstone decrease under cyclic loading and unloading conditions, whereas the peak axial strain increases. The Poisson's ratio initially decreases and then increases with increasing confining pressure. Under cyclic loading, both the crack initiation stress and damage stress surpass those observed in conventional triaxial tests. In both test conditions, the rock samples exhibit distinct brittle failure characteristics, with macroscopic failure modes predominantly manifesting as shear failure. However, cyclic loading and unloading inhibit microcrack formation. The findings elucidate the deformation and failure mechanisms of sandstone under graded equal amplitude cyclic loading and unloading, offering valuable insights for evaluating engineering stability. Earth and environmental sciences/Biogeochemistry Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences cyclic loading and unloading stress-strain curve upper limit stress brittle failure Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 06 Aug, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 17 Feb, 2025 Reviews received at journal 17 Feb, 2025 Reviews received at journal 10 Feb, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 03 Feb, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 03 Feb, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Feb, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 01 Feb, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 31 Jan, 2025 Editor invited by journal 16 Jan, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 15 Jan, 2025 First submitted to journal 10 Jan, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5802181","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":403041720,"identity":"9284544b-25be-4b15-a242-73e1df89bac3","order_by":0,"name":"Zhiwei NI","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"State Key Laboratory of Safety and Health for Metal Mines","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zhiwei","middleName":"","lastName":"NI","suffix":""},{"id":403041721,"identity":"ef23b98d-9edf-49f0-9504-9cc161974a16","order_by":1,"name":"Jie Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Sichuan 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Through a series of three-stage cyclic loading and unloading tests conducted under varying confining pressures, the findings indicate the following: The stress-strain curves of cyclic loading and unloading exhibit concave shapes, with closely aligned curves. As the confining pressure and upper limit stress increase, the hysteresis loop curves become progressively sparser, with their areas expanding. Low confining pressures and upper limit stresses inhibit the growth of circumferential strain. Compared to conventional triaxial tests, the peak strength, circumferential peak strain, and elastic modulus of sandstone decrease under cyclic loading and unloading conditions, whereas the peak axial strain increases. The Poisson's ratio initially decreases and then increases with increasing confining pressure. Under cyclic loading, both the crack initiation stress and damage stress surpass those observed in conventional triaxial tests. 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