Cross-scale estimation method for rock mechanical parameters based on mineral nanoindentation testing
LIU Xiuyang1, 2, XU Dingping1*, JIANG Quan1, LI Shaojun1
(1. State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering Safety, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China; 2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)
Abstract：The mechanical properties of rocks are critically important for the design and analysis of rock mass engineering. However, under specific conditions—such as core disking due to high in-situ stress, highly jointed rock masses, and extraterrestrial rock bodies—obtaining standard cylindrical rock specimens that meet conventional testing requirements can be challenging. To address this issue, this study develops an integrated prediction framework for estimating the macroscopic mechanical parameters of rocks based on nanoindentation tests of the constituent minerals. First, nanoindentation is employed to obtain meso-scale mechanical parameters of rock-forming minerals, including hardness, elastic modulus, and mode-I fracture toughness. The generalized means method is then applied to upscale the mineral elastic moduli to the macroscopic elastic modulus of the rock, demonstrating significantly higher prediction accuracy than traditional homogenization approaches. Second, leveraging the physical consistency between indentation hardness and uniaxial compressive strength, a multiple linear regression model incorporating the influence of minerals with varying strength grades is established to predict the uniaxial compressive strength of rocks, revealing the dominant role of low-strength minerals in controlling macroscopic strength. Furthermore, by integrating fracture mechanics theory with an equivalent weighting model, a predictive model for the tensile strength of rocks is formulated based on the mode-I fracture toughness of minerals. This framework provides an effective approach for the rapid estimation of rock mechanical parameters under sampling-constrained conditions and, through the introduction of the Hoek-Brown criterion, establishes a methodological foundation for achieving cross-scale predictions of mechanical parameters from “rock cuttings nanoindentation-rock core-rock mass”.
柳秀洋1，2，徐鼎平1*，江 权1，李邵军1. 基于矿物纳米压痕测试的岩石力学参数跨尺度估计方法[J]. 岩石力学与工程学报, 2026, 45(5): 1489-1502.
LIU Xiuyang1, 2, XU Dingping1*, JIANG Quan1, LI Shaojun1. Cross-scale estimation method for rock mechanical parameters based on mineral nanoindentation testing. , 2026, 45(5): 1489-1502.
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2026, Vol. 45 
