Experimental characterisation of shear and compaction band mechanisms in porous sandstone by a combination of AE and 3D-DIC

Shear and compaction bands represent two fundamental failure modes in sandstones. The identification of these features in both the natural outcrops and the laboratory scale yields useful insights into the mechanisms of localised deformation. Several conventional and advanced experimental full-field methods have been developed in order to shed light into the processes involved, as well as qualify and quantify parameters such as the orientation of these localised bands. In this paper, we present results of two triaxial tests, investigating shear and compaction bands in porous sandstone, using analysis of Acoustic Emission recorded during deformation and 3Dvolumetric Digital Image Correlation based on pre- and post deformation x-ray tomography images.