Investigating the impacts of porosity on the rock mechanical properties of sandstone

Laboratory testing of rocks and developing their interrelationships is a good way for assessment of rock behavior for mining and construction industries. A detailed testing program was envisaged to establish possible correlations between porosity and mechanical properties of sedimentary rocks from Salt range Punjab, Pakistan. Sandstone samples were collected from different formations of the salt range area. Sample preparation was carried out at the rock mechanics laboratory at UET Lahore as per suggested methods of ISRM. Samples with partings or defects were removed from the testing program. Acceptable samples were tested for porosity, density, UCS, BTS, and other properties. The test results obtained were used for statistical analysis to find possible correlations using MS Excel. The analysis showed that the rocks can be divided into two groups. The predictive relationships were determined between porosity and static mechanical properties of rocks, and between porosity and dynamic mechanical properties.