Correlation of P-wave velocity with mechanical and physical properties of limestone with statistical analysis
Hasan Arman
Abstract
Abstract This study aims to investigate the correlation between the P-wave velocity (V p ) and the mechanical and the physical properties of the limestone; V p tests were conducted on over 320 limestone samples. Moreover, the effects of the mineralogical, textural, and chemical composition of limestone were also studied through thin sections, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The relationships between the V p and the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), point load index (PLI(I s(50) ), 2nd cycle of slake durability index (I d2 ), natural unit weight (γ n ), specific gravity (G s(c) ), water absorption by weight (WA), and porosity (n) were estimated using representative empirical equations. The empirical equations were validated by Student’s t test that has indicated the existence of strong relationships between the mechanical and physical properties of the intact limestone with V p ; the calculated t-values were higher than the t-critical value. Furthermore, the results of previously available studies were compared with the results of this study in terms of the generated equations for V p values and the slope of a 1:1 line, which was used to appraise the predicted and measured values. This study demonstrates that the UCS, PLI(I s(50) ), I d2 , γ n , G s(c) , WA, and n values of an intact limestone can be predicted by using V p , which is fast, easy, economical and nondestructive test.