Experimental investigation of sandstone shear-seepage under dynamic constant-amplitude cyclic loading
HE Siyue1，2*, CHEN Xu3, HUANG Chao3, ZHANG Jiangjiang3, WANG Bo4, LI Guoliang1, SONG Zhanping2#br#
(1. State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Construction and Maintenance for Geotechnical and Tunnel Engineering under Extreme Environments, China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group Co., Ltd., Xi?an, Shaanxi 710043, China; 2. School of
Civil Engineering, Xi?an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi?an, Shaanxi 710055, China; 3. State Key Laboratory
of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, Sichuan 610059,
China; 4. State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Construction and Maintenance for Geotechnical and Tunnel Engineering
under Extreme Environments, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031, China)
Abstract：To investigate the influence of normal stress on the seepage and damage characteristics of sandstone during dynamic constant-amplitude cyclic direct shear, red sandstone samples were subjected to dynamic constant-amplitude cyclic direct shear tests under normal stresses of 10, 15, 20 and 25 MPa. During the loading process, acoustic emission (AE) signals were simultaneously recorded, and the permeability of the sandstone was measured in real time. After testing, the fracture surfaces of the sandstone samples were scanned using a 3D scanner. The test results indicate that the permeability evolution of sandstone during direct shear exhibits distinct stage characteristics, which can be described as “gradual decrease→slow decrease→slight recovery→exponential increase.” Throughout the loading process, the permeability of samples subjected to high normal stress consistently remains lower than that of samples under low normal stress. As the normal stress increases, the initiation of AE activity in the samples is delayed. However, the Felicity effect occurs earlier and more prominently, indicating a greater extent of damage. Higher normal stress facilitates a transition in the fracture mode of sandstone from tension-dominated to shear-dominated. At the microscopic level, increased normal stress promotes the development of transgranular cracks, leading to straighter crack propagation paths. Simultaneously, crack propagation is restricted near the main shear plane, ultimately resulting in macroscopically flatter fracture surfaces with lower roughness.
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2026, Vol. 45 
