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U.S. Department of Energy
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Mechanical strength properties of gypsum/aggregate mixtures for applications in stemming design

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6899327
A series of stress-strain tests was performed on a mixture of gypsum cement and tuff aggregate used as a stemming material for emplacement holes in underground nuclear testing. Purpose was to evaluate the failure strength of the stemming material as a function of pressure. The material was tested at confining pressures ranging up to 3000 psi at a strain rate of 10/sup -4/s/sup -1/, and in an unconfined state at strain rates of 10/sup -4/ s/sup -1/ and 10/sup -1/ s/sup -1/. In the tests at low strain rates, the strength increased from a range of about 1000 to 1500 psi unconfined to about 6000 to 8000 psi at 2000-psi confinement. The unconfined material was generally somewhat weaker at a strain rate of 10/sup -1/ s/sup -1/ than at 10/sup -4/ s/sup -1/. Strength also decreased with increasing moisture at low strain rate, but no trend could be discerned at the higher strain rate.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
6899327
Report Number(s):
UCID-20077; ON: DE84012141
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English