Effect of High Temperature on the Compressional Wave Velocity of Two Sandstones with Different Grain Sizes

Abstract

Understanding rock behaviour at high temperatures can serve as vital information in restoring fire-damaged monumental structures. This knowledge is essential for engineering and construction purposes, as it allows for assessing rock stability and potential hazards and developing appropriate safety measures in areas with high temperatures. This study investigates the effect of different temperatures on two sandstones with varying grain sizes. The rock was first heated to a range of temperatures such as 35, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 °C. To identify the thermal damage of the rock samples, the Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity measurement instrument is used to identify the inner cracks. This research discusses the application of Ultrasonic Pulse velocity (UPV) to identify thermal damage and analyse related parameters of two different sandstones. The ultrasonic method is one of the simple and reliable techniques to understand the damage conditions of rocks. There were significant variations in the P-wave velocity with thermal treatment, it is observed that a negative trend developed in the primary wave velocity as the temperature increased. They give qualitative and quantitative inferences on the extent of damage caused by various environmental parameters, particularly heating. The data obtained from the present study were compared to check the confidence of regression models. The mean absolute percentage error method, the root mean square error method (RMSE), was carried out on thermal damage of rock samples. Probabilistic analysis was also conducted to estimate the damage on rocks at different confidence levels. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.