In collaboration with colleagues from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC, Spain), we have investigated how fracture propagation in salt rock changes over time, which is important for safe underground storage and energy systems. Experiments using Wedge Splitting Tests and uniaxial creep tests showed that slower loading rates increase the energy needed for fracturing while lowering the peak force, highlighting strong time-dependent behaviour. Preliminary numerical simulations suggest these effects stem from processes in the fracture zone, underlining the importance of incorporating time-dependency in fracture models for salt rock.

Authors:

• Andreu Escanellas (UPC)
• Eduardo Cámara (UPC)
• Joaquín Liaudat (TU Darmstadt)
• Ignacio Carol (UPC)

The full Open Access paper is available here