An experimental and theoretical investigation of time-dependent cracking and creep behavior of rocks under triaxial hydro-mechanical coupling

Subcritical crack propagation and rock creep deformation are the main factors affecting the long-term stability and strength characteristics of rocks under hydro-mechanical coupling. Triaxial creep tests were performed on rock-like mortar specimens containing a pre-existing 3-D crack to investigate the time-dependent mechanical behavior of the cracked rock. A modified theoretical model for the irreversible deformation of rocks based on...