Cumulative Tensile Damage and Consolidation Effects on Fracture Properties of Sandstone

The presence of cracks in many historical objects indicates the action of external forces accompanied by internal strain gradients. This is usually a repetitive process, and damage cumulation may occur. A study of these effects requires a suitable methodology for testing historical stone that has been subjected to repeated tension strains. The chapter presents the results of a pilot experimental assessment of changes in the mechanical characteristics of sandstone due to accumulation of damage. The Young modulus and the Poisson number were investigated, using a verified methodology for testing stone in simple tension and in cyclic simple tension/compression loading. The results show that the first tension load displacement can be approximated very satisfactorily by a power function, and the optical digital image correlation (DIC) method again demonstrated its capacity and suitability for measuring the complex deformation field on porous surfaces and on naturally well-structured surfaces. The chapter further presents a methodology for investigating fracture phenomena in sandstone treated for consolidation. It shows the preparation of test specimens with a cyclic loading generated crack, control of the test specimen preparation, and verification by means of X-ray micro-CT and DIC techniques. The chapter illustrates an influence of various consolidation agents on the toughness of cracked specimens.