Point Load Strength Index Test of Rock

Instructor:
Dr. Ahmed Salih

Lab Assistant:
Hanar Hadi

Student’s Names and IDs:

Zhalyan Sardar Ali 17-00166
Soma Hoshyar Qadir 17-00112
Rawand Azad 17-00327
Rawand Assi 17-00240
Introduction:

Compressive strength is the maximum compressive strength that, under a gradually

applied load, a given solid material can sustain without fracture. This experiment was about

testing 15 rocks that distribute with three groups each group tested five rocks with considering

the shape and diameter, and length. The rocks have to be Length/diameter = approximately 1.5 in

order to do the test. A test machine was used for this experiment with the capacity of 25 to

50KN, the target of this test was to indicate the point load strength index and compressive

strength of each rock. After considering load strength and uniaxial compressive strength the

relationship between these two can be found and putting all of data in one graph.

Materials:

 Point load strength test machine

 Rock (Length/diameter=1.5)

 Measuring tape
Procedure:

Five rocks were selected by each group, the ratio of the length to the diameter of the rocks had to

between 1.45-1.55. The rock samples were put horizontally between the plates, then load was applied

to them until they failed (broke). Total of 15 rocks were tested.

Data and Calculation:

Table 1: group 1 data

Diameter (cm) Failure Load (KN) Is (MPa) Compressive strength (MPa)

4.5 4.5 2.22222222 93.3333333

5 7.61 3.044 127.848

4.5 8.24 4.0691358 170.903704

4 6.45 4.03125 169.3125

4 6.22 3.8875 163.275

Table 2: Other group’s data

Is (MPa) Compressive strength (MPa)

2.06 86.52

7.185 301.77

1 42

0.92 38.64

3.51 147.42

1.54 64.68

1.49 62.58

1.08 45.36

2.75 115.5

2.47 115.08
 Figure 1 Relationship between point load strength index and uniaxial compressive strength

Experimental relationship between point load index and

uniaxial compressive strength
8

7
f(x) = 0.0238143620439563 x − 0.0185625971691046
R² = 0.998213929962019
6

5
Is (MPa)

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Compressive stregth (MPa)

Figure 2 Relationship between point load index and uniaxial compressive strength from the experiment

Equation of the line:

Is = 0.0238σ c- 0.0186

σ c= 42.02 Is + 0.781
Is (MPa) Recalculated σ c (MPa)

2.22222222 94.1587778

3.044 128.68988

4.0691358 171.766086

4.03125 170.174125

3.8875 164.13375

2.06 87.3422

7.185 302.6947

1 42.801

0.92 39.4394

3.51 148.2712

1.54 65.4918

1.49 63.3908

1.08 46.1626

2.75 116.336

2.47 104.5704
 Recalculated Compressive Strength
8

7 f(x) = 0.0237981913374584 x − 0.0185863874345551

R² = 1
6

5
Is (MPa)

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Recalculated Compressive Strength (MPa)

Figure 3 Relationship using the recalculated compressive strength

Discussion:

After testing the rock samples, it turned out that two rock samples with the diameter of 4.5cm

failed at different points of load which were 4.5 and 8.24 KN. Same for the two rock samples which

had 4cm diameter, failed at 6.22 and 6.45KN. And the rock which had a diameter of 5cm failed at the

point load of 7.61 KN. After using the given relationship to find the compressive strength of each

point and drawing their relation based on the data that were found in the experiment, it was found

that the relationship between them changed slightly. Each compressive strength increased by a factor

of 0.02 and then 0.781 is added to it.

Conclusion:

It was concluded that by testing minimum of 10 rocks the compressive strength of the rest of rocks in

that vicinity can be found using the relationship drawn from the experiment. And it was shown that
the compressive strength of the rock is independent from the diameter, but it depends on the structure

and texture of the rock and its composition.