Abstract
The effects of strain rates on the strain localization characteristics of soft rocks in plane strain compression tests were studied. Using digital image correlation method based on image analysis technique, digital photographs of the specimen taken by CCD camera mounted in a microscope at different stages of loading were analyzed and displacement and strain fields were obtained. The accuracy of displacement and strain measurements are found to be 2.625 μm and 0.0525% (for 5 mm × 5 mm grid), respectively. By analyzing the strain fields, important information regarding strain localization characteristics at three different strain rates were obtained. The results of the study indicate that strain rate has significant influence on the localization modes. Strain localization was observed before the peak stress. The switching of localization mode from highly concentrated strain accumulation mode for higher strain rate to diffuse and complex strain accumulation mode for lower strain rate were observed. The evolutions of strain fields during creep tests at different loads were also studied.
