Yossef H Hatzor

The influence of microstructure on the ultimate strength of specimens of dolomite rock is investigated using petrographic and mechanical test data performed on 18 specimens of Aminadav dolomite, a sequence of Cretaceous platform dolomites of wide surface and underground distribution in Israel and adjacent countries. Measurable physical quantities such as mean grain size and bulk porosity are used in the model, together with obtainable mechanical quantities such as the elastic modulus and the level of confining pressure. A criterion that introduces a first step towards predicting brittle heterogeneous rock strength using measurable and meaningful microstructural and mechanical parameters is proposed.