To investigate the damage characteristics of the mesoscopic and microscopic pore structures of sandstone subjected to freeze-thaw cycles in cold regions,and to offer theoretical support for construction projects in these areas,the authors selected sandstone with a pronounced freeze-thaw response as the experimental subject.Utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology,the study obtained porosity data and T2 distribution curve characteristics of sandstone across varying freeze-thaw cycles.This study examines the alterations in mass of rocks subjected to freezing and thawing cycles,focusing on changes in rock porosity,pore structure,and aperture distribution.Additionally,it investigates the freeze-thaw responses of various pore content types.Utilizing fractal theory and the Coats permeability model,the authors quantitatively characterize the pore structure of rocks affected by freeze-thaw processes.The research establishes the interrelationships among different pore structures,pore fractal dimensions,permeability,and porosity,ultimately identifying the pore types most significantly influencing freeze-thaw damage.The findings indicate that the rock mass exhibits a non-linear increase in response to the number of freeze-thaw cycles,with trends associated with macro disruptions.The T2 distribution curve reveals that the pore size of the sandstone follows a three-peak distribution.Furthermore,both the porosity and the peak value of the T2 distribution increase as the number of freeze-thaw cycles rises.However,the inconsistency between the freeze-thaw cycles and the changes in peak area and peak value can be attributed to the imbalance between the rate of pore initiation and the rate of pore expansion within the rock,in which the volume of small pores (T2<3 ms) exhibited dynamic stability,whereas the volumes of medium pores (3 ms<T2<33 ms) and macropores (T2>33 ms) increased linearly.Notably,the expansion rate from small to medium pores exceeded that from medium to large pores.To comprehensively characterize the evolution of freeze-thaw damage,we employed integral fractal dimension,segmental fractal dimension,and permeability in our pore quantification analysis.The fractal dimension exhibits a negative correlation with the number of freeze-thaw cycles,wherein the fractal dimension of macropores (Db) decreases linearly with increasing porosity.This suggests that rock damage due to freeze-thaw processes is primarily attributable to the behavior of free water within macropores.Conversely,permeability,a parameter employed to characterize freeze-thaw damage in pore throats,demonstrates a positive correlation with the number of freeze-thaw cycles,and it is negatively correlated with the fractal dimension of the macropores due to the expansion of large pores and connected pore throats induced by freeze-thaw effects.This expansion facilitates the migration of free water between the pores and pore throats,thereby enhancing the connectivity of the rock pore structures and subsequently increasing the specimen’s permeability.
岩石冻融损伤的本质是水—冰相变过程中冻胀力驱动既有裂隙的扩展(贾海梁等,2022),对冻融后岩石微观结构的变化进行测量是评价冻融损伤最直接的方法。目前表征岩体孔隙结构的方法主要有压汞法(郭勇义等,2023)、薄片鉴定技术(成健等,2023)、CT技术(杨更社等,1996;Peng et al.,2011)、扫描电镜法(Bai et al.,2013;张强等,2022)和核磁共振技术(Nuclear Magnetic Resonance,NMR)等。核磁共振技术(NMR)作为无损检测的一种,可系统获得流体在样品中赋存及迁移相关参数,且具有更全面、更精准地获得岩石孔隙信息的优势(Wu et al.,2019)。通过NMR技术获得的试样孔隙度及T2谱曲线随冻融循环次数的变化可以表征冻融损伤演化(李杰林等,2019),且通过对T2谱面积的分段计量可以表征各类孔隙在冻融循环过程中的演化情况(Liu et al.,2021)。Gao et al.(2016)研究了复杂化学环境下红砂岩冻融损伤演化规律,结果表明:化学环境对冻融损伤具有显著影响,且从核磁共振图像可以看出,样品从外到内逐渐破坏,外部破坏将进一步导致孔洞贯通和外部岩石剥落;Liu et al.(2020a)利用NMR技术研究了带预制裂纹砂岩受冻融影响的细观损伤演化规律,并揭示了冻融损伤力学性能劣化关系。近年来,许多学者通过引入分形维数表征岩石孔隙结构(唐益群等,2019;张慧梅等,2022a;张韦等,2023),将岩石孔隙结构的复杂程度量化为分形维数,并结合以上测试技术多维度描述岩石孔隙结构冻融损伤的演化特征。
由表1可知,DNMR由2.415下降至2.404,Ds由1.024下降至0.983,Dm由2.543下降至2.525,Db由2.785下降至2.710。DNMR、Dm和Db均处于[2,3],符合分形维数的定义(赵静等,2024),且相关性均较好。小孔阶段的分形维数脱离了[2,3]的范围,可能是内部场梯度中的体弛豫和扩散弛豫对微孔核磁共振T2 信号的影响造成的(Zhang et al.,2019)。从变化趋势分析,分形维数均呈下降趋势,说明岩石孔隙结构复杂程度随冻融循环次数的增加而降低,试样连通性变好。从数值大小分析,Db>Dm>DNMR>Ds,说明岩石孔隙结构复杂程度最大的为大孔,中孔次之,整体孔隙特征相对简单。为分析孔隙度与分形维数之间的关系,绘制孔隙度与分形维数的拟合关系曲线如图12所示。
渗透率是指在一定压差情况下,岩石允许流体通过的能力,是关系水运输情况的重要参数之一。连接孔隙的喉道在决定岩石渗透率方面起着重要作用(王千等,2021),因此本文以渗透率变化情况定量表征岩石孔喉的冻融损伤。本文参考Coates模型(Glover et al.,2006),从核磁共振测量中估算渗透率,表示为
BaiB J, ElgmatiM, ZhangH,et al,2013.Rock characterization of Fayetteville shale gas plays[J].Fuel,105:645-652.DOI:10.1016/j.fuel.2012.09.043 .
[2]
ChengJian, YangBo, TaoJing,et al,2023.Analysis on pore structure characterization and controlling factors of 9th member of Yanchang Formation in Hujianshan Oilfield[J].Chinese Journal of Geology,58(3):1030-1044.
[3]
DunnK J, BergmanD J, LatorracaG A,2020.Nuclear Magnetic Resonance:Petrophysical and Logging Applications[M].New York:Pergamon.
[4]
GaoF, WangQ L, DengH W,et al,2016.Coupled effects of chemical environments and freeze-thaw cycles on damage characteristics of red sandstone[J].Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment,76(4):1481-1490.
[5]
GaoFeng, ZhouKeping, XiongXin,2022.Present situation and key problems of metal mineral resources exploitation in high altitude cold region of China[J].Mining Research and Development,42(10):1-5.
[6]
GloverP W, ZadjaliI I, FrewK A,et al,2006.Permeability prediction from MICP and NMR data using an electrokinetic approach[J].Geophysics,71(4):F49.
[7]
GuoYongyi, GaoYabin, CaoJing,et al,2023.Study on pore structure and fractal characteristics of coal samples with different gas content based on modified MIP[J].Journal of China University of Mining and Technology,52(6):1075-1083.
[8]
JiaH, DingS, WangY,et al,2019.An NMR-based investigation of pore water freezing process in sandstone [J].Cold Regions Science and Technology,168:102893.
[9]
JiaHailiang, ZhaoSiqi, DingShun,et al,2022.Study on the evolution and influencing factors of frost heaving force of waterbearing cracks during freezing-thawing process[J].Chinese Journal of Rock Mechanics and Engineering,41(9):1832-1845.
[10]
JiangDeyi, ZhangShuilin, ChenJie,et al,2019.Low filed NMR and acoustic emission probability density study of freezing and thawing cycles damage for sandstone[J].Rock and Soil Mechanics,40(2):436-444.
[11]
LaiJin, WangGuiwen, ChaiYu,et al,2014.Mechanism analysis and quantitative assessment of pore structure for tight sandstone reservoirs:An example from Chang 8 oil layer in the Jiyuan area of Ordos Basin[J].Acta Geologica Sinica,88(11):2119-2130.
[12]
LiJielin, ZhuLongyin, ZhouKeping,et al,2019.Damage characteristics of sandstone pore structure under freeze-thaw cycles[J].Rock and Soil Mechanics,40(9):3524-3532.
[13]
LiuC J, DengH Wi, ChenX M,et al,2020b.Impact of rock samples size on the microstructural changes induced by freeze-thaw cycles[J].Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering,53:5293-5300.
[14]
LiuC J, WangD G, WangZ X,et al,2021.Dynamic splitting tensile test of granite under freeze-thaw weathering[J].Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering,140(3):106411.
[15]
LiuT Y, ZhangC Y, CaoP,et al,2020a.Freeze-thaw damage evolution of fractured rock mass using nuclear magnetic resonance technology[J].Cold Regions Science and Technology,170:102951.
[16]
Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China,2013. Standard for test methods of engineering rock masses:GB/T 50266-2013 [S].Beijing:China Planning Publishing House.
[17]
PengR D, YangY C, YangJ,et al,2011.Computation of fractal dimension of rock pores based on gray CT images[J].Chinese Science Bulletin,56(31):3346-3357.
[18]
TangYiqun, YanJingjing,2019.Fractals of pore structure characteristic of muddy clay in Shanghai after artificial ground freezing[J].Journal of Tongji University (Natural Science),47(5):627-633.
[19]
TianWei, HanNü, ZhangPengkun,2017.Experiments on the freeze-thaw damage of concrete porous structure based on CT technique[J].Journal of Central South University(Science and Technology),48(11):3069-3075.
[20]
WangF Y, YangK, CaiJ C,et al,2018.Fractal characterization of tight oil reservoir pore structure using nuclear magnetic resonance and mercury intrusion porosimetry[J].Fractals,26(2):1840017.DOI:10.1142/S0218348X18400170 .
[21]
WangQian, YangShenglai, BaiJie,2021.Influence of pore throat structure on changes in physical properties of reservoir rock during CO2 flooding[J].Acta Petrolei Sinica,42(5):654-668,685.
[22]
WuY Q, TahmasebiP, LinC Y,et al,2019.A comprehensive study on geometric,topological and fractal characterizations of pore systems in low-permeability reservoirs based on SEM,MICP,NMR,and X-ray CT experiments[J].Marine and Petroleum Geology,103:12-18.DOI:10.1016/J.MARPETGEO.2019.02.003 .
[23]
XiaoPeng, ChenYouliang, DuXi,et al,2023.Mechanical properties of sandstone under freeze-thaw cycles and studies on meso-damage constitutive model[J].Chinese Journal of Geotechnical Engineering,45(4):805-815.
[24]
XieKainan, JiangDeyi, SunZhongguang,et al,2019.Influence of drying-wetting cycles on microstructure degradationof argillaceous sandstone using low field nuclear magnetic resonance[J].Rock and Soil Mechanics,40(2):653-659,667.
[25]
XieW B, YinQ L, ZengJ B,2023.Fractal-based approaches to pore structure investigation and water saturation prediction from NMR Measurements:A case study of the gas-bearing tight sandstone reservoir in nanpusag[J].Fractal and Fractional,7(3):273.
[26]
XuGuangmiao, LiuQuansheng,2005.Analysis of mechanism of rock failure due to freeze-thaw cycling and mechanical testing study on frozen-thawed rocks[J].Chinese Journal of Rock Mechanics and Engineering,24(17):3076-3082.
[27]
YangGengshe, XieDingyi, ZhangChangqing,et al,1996.CT identification of rock damage characteristics[J].Chinese Journal of Rock Mechanics and Engineering,15(1):48-54.
[28]
ZhangChaomo, ChenZhenbiao, ZhangZhansong,et al,2007.Fractal characteristics of reservoir rock pore structure based on NMR T2 distribution[J].Journal of Oil and Gas Technology,(4):80-86,166-167.
[29]
ZhangHuimei, WangYunfei,2022a.Multi-scale analysis of damage evolution of freezing-thawing red sandstones[J].Rock and Soil Mechanics,43(8):2103-2114.
[30]
ZhangHuimei, YuanChao, MuNana,et al,2022b.CT image processing and mesoscopic characteristics analysis of freeze-thaw rock[J].Journal of Xi’an University of Science and Technology,42(2):219-226.
[31]
ZhangJ, DengH W, DengJ R,et al,2019.Fractal analysis of pore structure development of sandstone:A nuclear magnetic resonance investigation[J].IEEE Access,DOI:10.1109/access.2019.2909782 .
[32]
ZhangQiang, WangJunbao, SongZhanping,et al,2022.Microstructure variation and empirical fatigue model of salt rock under cyclic loading[J].Rock and Soil Mechanics,43(4):995-1008.
[33]
ZhangWei, LiuChao, LiuHuawei,et al,2023.Freeze-thaw damage deterioration mechanism of rice husk ash concrete based on pore volume fractal dimension[J].Acta Materiae Compositae Sinica,40(8):4733-4744.
[34]
ZhaoBin, WangZhiyin, WuJinpeng,2013.Relation between mineralogical composition and microstructure to the mechanical properties of rock materials[J].Coal Geology and Exploration,41(3):59-63,67.
[35]
ZhaoJing, HuangZhilong, ZhangJingyuan,et al,2024.Pore structure fractal and graded evaluation in tight sandstone reservoirs:A case study of the Huangliu Formation in the Ledong area,Yinggehai Basin[J].Acta Sedimentologica Sinica,42(1):295-308.