ORI GI NAL PAPER

Comparison of the static and dynamic elastic modulus

in carbonate rocks
J. Mart nez-Mart nez

D. Benavente

M. A. Garc a-del-Cura
Received: 21 December 2010 / Accepted: 24 June 2011 / Published online: 22 October 2011
Springer-Verlag 2011
Abstract Youngs modulus is one of the most important
mechanical parameters in building materials used to assess
both the appropriateness of a material as well as its
mechanical stability. The paper reports a study to predict
the elastic modulus for ten carbonate rocks using the
ultrasonic technique. The rocks varied from homogeneous
limestones to rocks with abundant stylolite, veins and s-
sures and were subjected to both salt crystallization and
thermal weathering tests in order to modify the number and
features of their discontinuities. The dynamic and static
elastic moduli were measured in both weathered and
unweathered samples. The results conrmed the poor
relationship between the static and dynamic moduli for the
studied rocks. A new equation is proposed which uses both
dynamic elastic modulus and spatial attenuation of com-
pressive waves to provide an accurate prediction of static
Youngs modulus. As spatial attenuation is highly sensitive
to the presence of rock defects, the correlation is very
useful for rocks with fractures, voids and/or which have
suffered weathering.
Keywords Ultrasound Spatial attenuation Youngs
Modulus Strain gauges Dolostone Limestone Marble
Resume Le module dYoung est lun des plus impor-
tants parame`tres mecaniques des materiaux de construc-
tion. Il est utilise pour evaluer a` la fois ladequation dun
materiau et sa stabilite mecanique. Larticle presente une
etude visant a` prevoir le module delasticite de dix roches
carbonatees a` partir de la technique des ultrasons. Les
roches testees allaient des calcaires homoge`nes aux
calcaires avec de nombreux stylolites, veinules et ssures.
Elles furent soumises a` des tests de cristallisation de sels
et dalteration thermique an de modier le nombre et les
caracteristiques de leurs defauts. Les modules statiques et
dynamiques furent mesures a` la fois pour les echantillons
sains et pour les echantillons alteres. Les resultats ont
conrme les relations faibles entre module statique et
module dynamique pour les roches etudiees. Une nouvelle
equation est proposee qui, a` partir du module delasticite
dynamique et de lattenuation spatiale des ondes de
compression, fournit une prevision du module dYoung
statique. Du fait que lattenuation spatiale des ondes de
compression est hautement sensible a` la presence de
defauts dans les roches, la correlation etablie est tre`s utile
pour les roches contenant des ssures et des vides ou qui
ont ete soumises a` de lalteration.
Mots cles Ultrasons Attenuation spatiale Module
dYoung Jauges de deformation Dolomie Calcaire
Marbre
Introduction
Elastic modulus is a common parameter for establishing
the correct use of rocks in both new buildings and resto-
ration works. The importance of this parameter is due to
the fact that it is a direct measurement of material stiffness:
J. Mart nez-Mart nez (&) D. Benavente
Dpto. Ciencias de la Tierra y Medio Ambiente,
University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
e-mail: javier.martinez@ua.es
J. Mart nez-Mart nez D. Benavente M. A. Garc a-del-Cura
Laboratorio de Petrolog a Aplicada, Unidad Asociada CSIC-UA,
Alicante, Spain
M. A. Garc a-del-Cura
Inst. Geolog a Economica, CSIC-UCM, Madrid, Spain
1 3
Bull Eng Geol Environ (2012) 71:263268
DOI 10.1007/s10064-011-0399-y
the lower the elastic modulus value, the lower the material
stiffness.
Two types of procedures exist for obtaining the
elastic modulus of rocks: destructive and non-destructive
methodologies.
Destructive procedures: the elastic modulus is calcu-
lated from the stressstrain curve of the material. This
curve is obtained measuring the sample strain during
compression tests. These compression tests can be carried
out under uniaxial or triaxial conditions, whereas the
sample strain can be measured with strain gauges or similar
systems (for example, measuring the relative linear dis-
placement between the sheets of the press by means of a
linear variable differential transformer (LVDT)).
Non-destructive procedures: the most widespread non-
destructive procedure is the calculus of the elastic modulus
via an ultrasonic test. The modulus is calculated by means
of the following equations:
E q
bulk
V
2
P
1 2m 1 m
1 m
; 1
m
V
P
=V
S

2
2
2 V
P
=V
S

2
1
h i
V
2
p
2V
2
s
2V
2
p
V
2
s

; 2
where E is the dynamic Youngs modulus, m is the Poisson
coefcient; V
p
and V
s
are the compressional and shear
ultrasonic wave velocities, respectively; and q
bulk
is the
bulk density of the material.
The Youngs modulus obtained from the compression
(destructive) test is called the static elastic modulus (E
st
).
The modulus calculated using the ultrasonic (non-destruc-
tive) test is the dynamic elastic modulus (E
d
) (Mart nez-
Mart nez 2009; Schon 1996). In this paper, the secant static
modulus has been calculated following ASTM D 3148-69
(1996).
Ultrasonic procedure has two essential advantages:
(a) the tested sample is not removed (non-destructive
test), so it is possible to repeat the test if necessary;
and
(b) the ultrasonic machine is totally portable and,
consequently, measurements can be taken outside
the laboratory (in the eld, in buildings and
restoration works, etc.)
The disadvantage of the ultrasonic test is that it mea-
sures a mechanical parameter indirectly. Therefore, the
dynamic elastic modulus can be slightly different to the
static value (Al-Shayea 2004; Christaras, Auger and Mosse
1994; Ciccoti and Mulargia 2004; Guegen and Palciauskas
1994; Rodr guez Sastre and Calleja 2004; Saenger,
Kruger ?tul?> and Shapiro 2006; Song et al. 2004). Gen-
erally, the dynamic value is slightly higher. This difference
is explained by different authors as due to the presence of
fractures, cracks, cavities, planes of weakness and foliation
(Al-Shayea 2004; Gueguen and Palciauskas 1994). The
more discontinuities in the rock, the lower the Youngs
modulus value and the higher the discrepancy between the
static and dynamic values. Therefore, the elastic modulus
of the rock will presumably be lower as the degree of
weathering increases and, at the same time, the approxi-
mation of the dynamic value to the real modulus will be
less accurate.
The objective of the paper is to offer an accurate
equation to calculate static elastic modulus of carbonate
rocks (limestones, dolostones and marbles) by means of
non-destructive procedures (ultrasounds), which are
equally relevant to homogeneous and fractured rocks as
well as those with a metamorphic foliation, irrespective of
the degree of weathering.
Materials
This study presents the results of a laboratory experiment
performed on ten different carbonate rocks quarried in
Spain as building materials. The rocks vary considerably as
regards structural complexity: from homogeneous lime-
stones and low anisotropic travertines to limestones and
dolostones with abundant stylolites, veins and ssures. The
rocks are shown in Fig. 1 and described briey below.
Homogeneous limestones
Blanco Alconera (BA): white crystalline limestone
formed basically of calcite, although some samples can
show a signicant dolomite content.
Piedra de Colmenar (PdC): grey and white lacustrine
fossiliferous limestone (99% calcite).
Travertines
Travertino Amarillo (TAm): porous layered limestone
(yellow and brown micrite and/or beige crystalline
layers).
Travertino Rojo (TR): porous layered limestone (red
and brown micrite and/or beige crystalline layers).
Calcite marbles
Gris Macael (GM): grey calcite marble with very clear
metamorphic foliation.
Blanco Tranco (BT): white homogeneous calcite mar-
ble with highly diffused metamorphic foliation.
264 J. Mart nez-Mart nez et al.
1 3
Fractured dolomitic marble
Amarillo Triana (AT): yellow dolomite marble with
abundant ssures lled with both calcite and iron/
manganese oxides/hydroxides. This marble has meta-
morphic foliation, although it may not be very clear in
some samples.
Fractured limestones
Crema Valencia (CV): cream micritic limestone (99%
calcite) with abundant stylolites lled with quartz
(80%) and kaolinite (11%).
Rojo Cehegn (RC): micritic limestone with abundant
clay minerals lling the space between the calcite
crystals. This rock has a large number of white calcite
veins, fractures and stylolites lled with quartz (24%),
siderite (21%), kaolinite (14%), smectite (16%),
muscovite (15%) and hematite (10%). The abundant
discontinuities provide the rock with a brecciated
appearance.
Fractured dolostones
Marron Emperador (ME): brown brecciated dolostone.
The clasts are constituted basically of dolomite and the
frequent veins which run through the rock are lled
with calcite.
Methodology
Static and dynamic elastic moduli were measured on six
50 mm cube samples of each of the ten studied rock types.
Four samples of each variety were subjected to weathering
tests in order to study the change in both Youngs moduli
when the degree of weathering of the rocks increases. Both
ultrasonic and uniaxial compression tests were applied to
all the samples (weathered and unweathered).
Ultrasonic test
The ultrasonic test was applied using the transmission
method, which consists of coupling two piezoelectric sen-
sors on opposite faces of the sample. A visco-elastic cou-
plant was used to achieve good coupling between the
transducer and the sample. Ultrasonic waves were measured
using non-polarised Panametric transducers (1 MHz), a
precise ultrasonic device consisting of signal emitting
receiving equipment and an oscilloscope (TDS 3012B-
Tektronix), which acquired and digitalised the waveforms
to be displayed, manipulated and stored.
Three ultrasonic parameters were obtained. Compres-
sional and shear velocity waves (V
p
and V
s
, respectively)
were calculated in order to obtain the E
d
value (Eqs. 1
and 2). The spatial attenuation coefcient (a
s
) was also
obtained from the registered ultrasonic waveform in order to
extract as much information as possible from the received
wave. The energy lost during the wave propagation through
Fig. 1 Samples of the 10
carbonate rocks studied. The
image width is 4 cm
approximately
Dynamic elastic modulus in carbonate rocks 265
1 3
the material (a
s
) was assessed by measuring the difference
between both the amplitude of the emitted waveform and
the amplitude recorded in the received waveform; for a
more detailed denition of a
s
, see Mart nez-Mart nez et al.
(2011).
Uniaxial compression test
After the ultrasonic measurement, the uniaxial compressive
strength test was carried out on the same samples,
following UNE-EN 1926 (1999) and using deformation
gauges. The stress and strain information was recorded by a
data capturing module (HBM-Spider 8). The stressstrain
curve was obtained and manipulated by a specic program
(MECADAQS

).
E
st
was calculated as the slope of the straight line
which links the origin of the stressstrain curve with the
corresponding point at 70% of ultimate strength (secant
modulus) following ASTM D 314869 (1996).
Weathering tests
A sample of each of the ten rock types was subjected to a
salt crystallization test and a further sample of each to the
thermal shock test.
Salt crystallization test: Dry samples of each rock were
introduced vertically into a vacuum vessel and covered
with a 31.7% w/w Na
2
SO
4
solution. The immersion was
carried out at a temperature of 20C and a pressure of
30 mbar and maintained for 24 h. The samples were then
put into a climatic chamber at 5C and 90% RH for 10 h.
Finally, the samples were dried in a heating cabinet at
105C for 14 h. They were then cleaned with pure water
until the salt was eliminated and dried until they reached a
constant weight.
Thermal shock test: the conditions for this test were
identical to those used for the salt crystallization test except
that the samples were saturated in the vacuum vessel with
pure water instead of the Na
2
SO
4
solution.
Results and discussion
Both the unweathered and weathered samples were tested
using ultrasound and uniaxial compression tests and the
dynamic (E
d
) and static (E
st
) elastic moduli calculated for
each sample. The ten selected varieties of rocks show
different degrees of heterogeneity: from homogeneous
limestones to brecciated dolostones. After the weathering
tests, new ssures began to appear whilst pre-existing
discontinuities became larger. Thus, the similarities
between E
d
and E
st
in rocks with ssures and a high degree
of deterioration could be studied.
Figure 2 shows the relationship between E
d
and E
st
in
the studied samples. The straight red line (line with slope
equal to 1) represents the ideal correlation E
d
= E
st
, but as
seen in the gure, there was a considerable spread in the
results.
From these results, it is obvious that a correction factor
must be applied to Eq. 1 in order to render it suitable for
highly heterogeneous rocks. The correction of this equation
is carried out by a dimensionless coefcient, K:
K
E
d
E
st
; 3
Equation 1, corrected after K, will be
E
st

1
K
q
bulk
V
2
P
1 2m 1 m
1 m
4
The ideal K value is 1. In this case (K = 1), E
d
is perfectly
calculated by means of Eq. 1 and no correction is neces-
sary. When K[1, E
d
(obtained by means of Eq. 1) is
overestimated. When K\1, the calculus of E
d
underesti-
mates the real value.
According to Ciccotti and Mulargia (2004), K acquires
values between 1 and 1.3 although Al-Shayea (2004) points
out that the proportion between E
d
and E
st
(K value) varies
from 0.85 to 1.86. Table 1 shows the K values obtained in
the samples examined in this study (weathered and
unweathered samples). The dynamic to static modulus ratio
varies between 0.5 (the calculated E
d
is just half of the
measured E
st
) and 2.1 (E
d
is practically twice E
st
).
Al-Shayea (2004) observed that the variation of K is
directly proportional to the obtained value of E
d
: the higher
the E
d
, the higher the K value. In order to check this
assertion, the results obtained in the present study were
plotted in Fig. 3.
It can be seen that a relatively good relationship can be
established between E
d
and K when E
d
values are higher
Fig. 2 Relationship between E
d
and E
st
in the studied samples. The
straight red line corresponds to the ideal ratio E
d
/E
st
= 1
266 J. Mart nez-Mart nez et al.
1 3
than 50 GPa. This relationship is dened by the following
equation:
K 0:03 E
d
0:5 5
When the calculated value of E
d
is lower than 50 GPa,
however, the values show an extremely wide scatter such
that it is not possible to dene a reliable relationship
between these parameters.
Samples with an E
d
value lower than 50 GPa correspond
to highly ssured or highly decayed samples. The scatter-
ing observed in these samples is due to the effect of the
fractures on the ultrasonic wave propagation or on the
spreading of mechanical stress. Previous studies have
demonstrated that wave velocity (V
p
) has a low sensitivity
in terms of detecting differences in fracture orientation,
fracture apertures or fractures with a different relative
position in the sample (Mart nez-Mart nez et al. 2011).
However, rock elasticity (quantied by E
st
) is highly
dependent on these structural aspects (orientation, aperture
and position of fractures).
For example, take two theoretical rock samples A and B
in which there is a fracture in the central section of each
one. In sample A, the fracture is perpendicular to the wave
propagation direction and has a large aperture while the
fracture in sample B has a moderate aperture and forms an
angle of 20

to the wave propagation direction. Both

fractures show a similar decrease in the ultrasonic wave
velocity (V
p
), but sample B is less resistant and less elastic
than sample A. In summary, the presence of important
ssures relates to low ultrasonic velocities (low values of
E
d
), but not necessarily to a low E
st
value
,
as this latter
parameter depends on the relative position and orientation
of the ssures. Therefore, the E
d
parameter is frequently
over-estimated and consequently the K coefcient shows
values higher than 1.
Recently, Mart nez-Mart nez et al. (2011) concluded
that the ultrasonic spatial attenuation (a
s
) parameter is
highly sensitive to the presence of fractures as well as to
the aperture, orientation and position of fractures in car-
bonate rocks. Moreover, this parameter detects voids and
different degrees of weathering in the rock; hence spatial
attenuation seems a much more appropriate parameter to
dene K compared with E
d
.
Figure 4 shows the relationship between K and a
s
in the
studied samples. The trend illustrated by this graph con-
rms that a
s
is the most suitable ultrasonic parameter for
dening K. In this way, K is expressed as
K 3:8 a
0:68
s
6
This equation is valid for all the tested samples (weathered
and unweathered), regardless of the presence of ssures,
their characteristics and the degree of weathering in the
rock.
Table 1 K values obtained in the studied rock varieties (weathered
and unweathered samples)
K
Min Max
AT 0.8 1.5
BA 1.0 2.1
BT 1.3 1.9
CV 0.5 0.6
CV
w
1.7 1.9
GM 0.8 2.0
ME 1.0 1.9
PdC 0.8 1.9
RC 1.0 1.6
TAm 0.9 1.3
TR 0.6 1.0
CV shows a differentiated K range between unweathered (CV) and
weathered (CV
w
) samples
Fig. 3 Relationship between K and E
d
Fig. 4 Relationship between K and a
s
Dynamic elastic modulus in carbonate rocks 267
1 3
Finally, by introducing Eq. 6 into 4, the static elastic
modulus is more accurately dened by the following
formula:
E
st

1
3:8 a
0:68
s
q
bulk
V
2
P
1 2m 1 m
1 m
7
Conclusions
Fractures, voids and decay processes in rocks cause a
deviation of the dynamic elastic modulus from static val-
ues. This deviation is due to the fact that discontinuities
have a different effect on both ultrasonic wave propagation
and uniaxial compression tests. Consequently, the dynamic
elastic modulus (E
d
) may be over- or under-estimated
compared with the static elastic modulus (E
st
). Therefore, it
is necessary to correct the dynamic modulus by means of
coefcient K.
The results obtained in this paper show that the best
correction of E
d
is obtained by means of the spatial
attenuation of the ultrasonic wave (a
s
). The expression of
K as a function of a
s
is shown in Eq. 6, and the complete
denition of E
d
in terms of a
s
, q
bulk
(bulk density of the
material), V
p
(compressional ultrasonic wave velocity) and
m (Poisson coefcient) is detailed in Eq. 7. The Poisson
coefcient (m) is calculated according to Eq. 2.
The elastic modulus calculated according to Eq. 7 has
several important advantages:
(a) it is valid for carbonate rocks regardless of the
presence of ssures or voids;
(b) it is valid for both weathered and unweathered rocks;
(c) as all the parameters considered in Eq. 7 are obtained
by means of an ultrasonic test, the procedure for
calculating the Youngs modulus is completely non-
destructive; hence it is possible to repeat the test if
necessary;
(d) the ultrasonic machine is totally portable and, conse-
quently, measurements can be taken outside the
laboratory (in the eld, in both building and restora-
tion works, etc.).
Acknowledgments This study was nanced by the Spanish Min-
istry of Education and Science (MEC): project CGL2006-05027/BTE.
A pre-doctoral research fellowship was awarded to J. Mart nez-
Mart nez by the Higher Council of Scientic Investigations (CSIC,
Spain).
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