Study of the correlation between uniaxial compressive strength and P-wave velocity in sandstone

Abstract

The geomechanical strength of rock masses plays a key role in the planning and design of civil and mining construction projects. The uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of rocks is a crucial property that is widely used in geotechnical engineering to understand the strength and deformability of rock masses. Determination of geomechanical properties both in the field and in the laboratory is time consuming, tedious, and expensive. However, ultrasonic techniques, such as P-wave propagation velocity (VP) measurement, are a simple, cost-effective, and non-destructive method for evaluating the UCS of rocks. In this study, a review of the state of knowledge of the type of empirical correlations that exist for sandstones to predict the value of UCS from VP is developed. The main objective developed is a meta-study on the relationship between UCS and VP. For this, UCS and VP data for sandstonetype sedimentary rock are compiled from various sources. With the results obtained, empirical formulas are proposed that correlate UCS and VP, which can be used as a geotechnical engineering tool to predict the value of UCS from VP in sandstones.