Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• A novel device for consolidating and sealing in-situ internal stress in deep rocks was developed, comprising three modules: material consolidation cultivation, in-situ stress environment simulation, and multi-source information capture. • Three mechanical tests (internal stress preservation, release, and conventional) were conducted, revealing that consolidation-sealing significantly affects the mechanical properties of simulated rock material. • Internal stress release leads to damage of material properties, indicating that the presence and influence of internal stress should not be overlooked in deep rock mechanics. • The study provides a new research direction and scientific devices for expanding and deepening the field of deep in-situ rock mechanics.
Abstract
Addressing the scientific problem of unclear understanding of in-situ internal stress and its evolution in deep rock masses, a scientific definition and implementation path for the concept of in-situ internal stress consolidation-sealing in deep rock masses are proposed, and a set of in-situ internal stress consolidation-sealing test device for deep rock masses has been independently developed. The device consists of a material consolidation cultivation module, an in-situ internal stress environment simulation module, and a multi-source information capture module. And the three mechanical tests of internal stress preservation, internal stress release and conventional were carried out with the device. The evolution law of the deformation parameters in the internal stress consolidation-sealing stage was studied, and the difference characteristics of the deformation parameters before and after the internal stress releasing were compared and analyzed. The results show that the internal stress consolidation-sealing significantly affects the mechanical properties of the simulated rock material, while the internal stress release leads to the damage of the material properties, suggesting that the presence and influence of internal stress should not be overlooked. This study could provide a new research direction and scientific devices for the expansion and deepening of the field of deep in-situ rock mechanics.
1. Introduction
As human technological capabilities continue to advance, exploration activities in extreme areas such as space, deep sea, deep earth, and polar regions are gradually becoming more frequent [1,2]. However, human current understanding of deep geological processes on Earth remains limited. Additionally, excessive consumption of shallow resources and energy is driving human activities to greater vertical depths. Deep resource and energy extraction are becoming commonplace [3].
Currently, the fundamental data used in basic rock mechanics theory and research methods are mostly obtained through measurements taken from conventional core samples acquired using traditional coring techniques. However, due to the detachment of these core samples from their in-situ environment, there is a certain degree of in-situ information release phenomena such as stress, temperature, and gas, which affects the true mechanical properties of rocks [4]. As coring operations reach deeper depths, internal stress release becomes more likely to cause rock damage, and an increase in discing phenomena also indicates that internal stress release within deep in-situ rocks affects their structural stability. Additionally, some scholars have observed internal stress release phenomena when using methods such as anelastic strain recovery and differential strain analysis based on core samples for in-situ stress measurement. The removal of stress fields acting on the core samples results in relaxation deformation along the circumference, leading to the formation of internal microcracks in rocks, and this process is essentially irreversible [5–7]. Clearly, core samples obtained using traditional sampling techniques exhibit varying degrees of damage.
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Mingzhong Gao, Chuo Zhang, Fei Li, Bengao Yang, Jing Xie, Zundong Yang, Kunchen He (2026). Consolidation-sealing of in-situ internal stress in deep rocks: Device development and mechanical behavior characterization. SinoTechIntel Verified Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2026.02.007
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main purpose of the developed device?
The device is designed to consolidate and seal in-situ internal stress in deep rock masses, allowing for accurate mechanical testing and characterization of deep rock behavior under preserved stress conditions.
What are the three modules of the device?
The device consists of a material consolidation cultivation module, an in-situ internal stress environment simulation module, and a multi-source information capture module.
What tests were conducted using the device?
Three mechanical tests were conducted: internal stress preservation, internal stress release, and conventional tests.
What were the key findings regarding internal stress?
The results showed that consolidation-sealing significantly affects the mechanical properties of simulated rock material, while internal stress release leads to damage of material properties, indicating that the presence and influence of internal stress should not be overlooked.
How does this study contribute to deep rock mechanics?
This study provides a new research direction and scientific devices for expanding and deepening the field of deep in-situ rock mechanics, enabling more accurate understanding of deep rock behavior.
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