Effect of Moisture on the Macro Failure Characteristics of Weakly Consolidated Mudstone: Mesomechanism

Mudstone, whose significant characteristic is water-weakening, widely exists in all kinds of geotechnical engineering, which brings great security risks to engineering safety. In this paper, through a series macro and meso test methods, the action mechanism water on weakly consolidated plane mudstone was studied. uniaxial compressive strength test, cementation main part fracture derived. Under moist state, would decrease significantly, inversely correlated with relative moisture content. case flooding, cracking occurred only along plane. Through ESEM+mapping results showed humidification curing caused obvious damage cemented plane, where sodium calcium were lost without certain cause. The rich clay minerals mesoscale presented an inhomogeneous state. surface hardness data obtained from nanoindentation discrete difficult quantitatively evaluate mesomechanical properties. However, compared dry set state had decline, showing weakening effect. prone fail these planes. Moisture intrudes into bedding further deteriorating their consolidation.