Investigation of Deformation Mechanism for Methane Hydrate Sediment based upon Mechanical Properties in Unloading and Reloading Process under Triaxial Compression

摘要

In this study, unloading-reloading tests were conducted for artificial methane hydrate sediment samples under triaxial compression and the mechanical behaviors were discussed. In the early stage of axial loading, where consolidation of the sample would occur, the slope of unloading-reloading curve increased; in the following stage, where dilatancy behavior would be a dominant deformation mechanism, the slope decreased slightly. The findings may be of some help not only to understand the deformation mechanism but also to construct a mechanical model or a constitutive equation for methane hydrate sediment.