Understanding rock behaviour at depth: Integration of high pressure-temperature-pore fluid measurements via a servo-controlled stiff testing system for experimental geomechanics

岩石在深部的性质主要受围压、温度、孔隙流体压力和应变率的控制。如果我们要：i)改善对我们的社区和基础设施构成风险的地质灾害的缓解；以及ii)安全、经济和可持续地深度开采加拿大的自然资源，了解这些变量是至关重要的。拟建的设施将把高容量、僵硬的测试框架转换为最先进的伺服控制三轴测试系统，能够模拟深度经历的压力和温度条件。该设施将设在哥伦比亚大学耗资7500万美元的新地球科学大楼内，并将把研究人员与岩石力学、构造地质学、火山学和资源开采(碳氢化合物油藏的深层开采和水力压裂)方面的交叉专业知识联系起来。这组研究人员在实验岩石力学方面有着公认的记录，结合了基于现场的观测和最先进的数值模拟。这种协同效应导致了改进的实验设计和对结果的更稳健的解释。作为一个小组，他们在这些主题上发表了大量文章，所需的设备将使我们能够继续并在我们之前的研究成果的基础上再接再厉。

The behaviour of rock at depth is primarily controlled by confining pressure, temperature, pore fluid pressure and strain rate. It is crucial to understand these variables if we are to: i) improve the mitigation of geo-hazards that pose a risk to our communities and infrastructure; and ii) safely, economically and sustainably extract Canada's natural resources at depth. The proposed facility would see the conversion of a high capacity, stiff testing frame into a state-of-the-art servo-controlled triaxial test system capable of simulating the pressure and temperature conditions experienced at depth. The facility will be housed in the new $75 million Earth Science Building at UBC, and will link researchers with overlapping expertise in rock mechanics, structural geology, volcanology and resource extraction (deep mining and hydrofracking of hydrocarbon reservoirs). This group of researchers have a proven track record in experimental rock mechanics, integrated with field-based observations and state-of-the-art numerical modelling. This synergy leads to both improved experimental design and more robust interpretation of results. As a group, they have published extensively on these topics, and the requested equipment would allow us to continue and build upon our previous research successes.