Mechanical Characteristics of Basalt in Jeju Island with Relation to Porosity

Volcanic rocks, particularly basalt, often exhibit vesicular structures due to the presence of volatile components in magma. This study reveals that porosity significantly impacts the mechanical properties of Jeju Island's basalt, with unconfined compressive strength, elastic modulus, and elastic wave velocity decreasing curvilinearly as porosity increases. Additionally, a linear relationship is observed between elastic wave velocity and both unconfined compressive strength and elastic modulus. The research employs two methods—buoyancy and caliper—to measure porosity, finding that the buoyancy method provides more accurate estimates for vesicular rocks with porosity above 5%. These findings offer empirical relations that can aid in understanding and predicting the mechanical behavior of porous volcanic rocks.

Moon, Kyoungtae, Park, Sangyeol, Kim, Youngchan, & Yang, Soon-Bo. (2014). Mechanical Characteristics of Basalt in Jeju Island with Relation to Porosity. KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research, 34(4), 1215–1225. https://doi.org/10.12652/KSCE.2014.34.4.1215