Experimental Insights on the Characteristics of Rock Slaking with Particular Reference to the Sedimentary Argillaceous Rocks

摘要

A great variety of foundation and slope stability problems worldwide have been contributed to the presence of argillaceous rocks. The main difficulty with argillaceous rocks is generally attributed to their properties that possess tendency to physically deteriorate within relatively short time frames after being exposed to the atmosphere and moistened, which commonly has known as slaking properties. In this study, the differences slaking characteristics of sedimentary argillaceous rocks have been determined by conducting a series of static slaking test. The results indicated that the shale was characterized by a low to medium slaking behavior having a mean I_(s1) of 7.5%, on the opposite condition to the claystone that was characterized by a high slaking behavior with a mean I_(s1) of 41%. It was evidence that the main mineralogical factors controlled in the rock slaking were expandable clay mineral smectite and non-clay mineral pyrite. Moreover, there is a quite importance ofcalcite soluble minerals in the slaking behavior of argillaceous rocks, in particular in an acid condition.