Determination of time-dependent strengths of salt pillars based on strain energy principle

Abstract The objective of this study is to determine the time-dependent strengths of salt mine pillars in the Maha Sarakham formation, northeast of Thailand. Strain rate-controlled triaxial compression tests have been performed on salt specimens under confining pressures from 0 MPa to 12 MPa. The strain rates are from 10 −7  s −1 to 10 −4  s −1 . The axial stresses and lateral strains are monitored through the strain-softening region. The results indicate that the strengths and elastic moduli increase exponentially with the strain rates. The power creep law parameters are calibrated with the test results, and hence allows constructing series of strain-time curves for the salt pillars under different depths and extraction ratios. The strain energy density principle is applied to develop a strength criterion for the salt pillars. Combining this criterion with the series of the strain-time curves the time-dependent strengths of the salt pillars for different extraction ratios can be predicted.