ABSTRACT
Cylindrical and prismatic rock specimens, subjected to uniaxial compression, are usually studied to assess the material’s uniaxial compressive strength, Poisson’s ratio and Young’s modulus. However, in order to monitor their fracturing, and so to comprehend the fracturing behaviour of the tested material, additional methods should be employed, such as the recording of the acoustic emission activity. Acoustic emission, offer a valuable insight of the rock’s fracturing behaviour and of the accompanied phenomena. In the current study, five calcitic and dolomitic rocks are subjected to uniaxial compression, while the acoustic emission activity is recorded and post-processed accordingly. There are apparent differences regarding the acoustic emission activity, for which two different behavioural types are noticed and described, based on the mineralogical composition of the studied specimens. Finally, the ability to predict the upcoming failure of the specimen through the analysis of the basic acoustic emission parameters is evaluated.
