This work discusses the results of a study of the influence of rates of change of confining pressure on the result of a drained compressibility tests intended to determine the modulus of compressibility of a rock skeleton K_s. A series of cyclical compressibility tests was performed on samples of sandstone soaked in kerosene, for various rates of compression and decompression of the pressure liquid filling the cell and the pore volume of the sample. The studies showed that the deformability of the tested sample was directly proportional to the rate of change of the confining pressure. As a consequence, the value of the K_s modulus and Biot coefficient α decreased with increasing sample load rate. This phenomenon should be attributed primarily to equilibration of the liquid pressure inside the high-pressure cell with the liquid pressure in the sample pore space, caused by filtration of the pore liquid. These phenomena prove that the filtration process impacts the values of the modulus of compressibility of the rock skeleton K_s and of Biot coefficient α determined on the basis of the experiment. This is significant in the context of the use of Biot equations as constitutive equations for a porous rock medium.

The objective of the current study was to compare results relating to the compressive and tensile strength of rocks obtained during research undertaken according to Polish Standards (as part of the European standards known as Eurocodes), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standards, and the recommendations of the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM). A total of 130 experiments for uniaxial compression on axisymmetric samples, point loads, and transverse compression (so-called Brazilian tests) were performed on rock samples comprising granite, limestone, and sandstone. Geometric properties of the samples were selected depending on the applied research method, and the relationship between the specimen’s slenderness and shape, and the obtained values of compressive and tensile strength, were analyzed. The results of the study showed that values of compressive and tensile strength obtained in a laboratory depend significantly on specimen slenderness, different values of which are imposed by various ISRM standards and recommendations, wherein this sensitivity was much higher in the case of compressive strength. The study also raised doubt about the usefulness of the so-called point load test as a method for determination of the compressive strength of rocks and potential estimation of the tensile strength.

In the production of cement, raw materials can be partially substituted by regenerable waste provided from glasses, construction and demolition waste in order to reduce the environmental problem and burden of landfills. In this study, limestone–silicate composites were synthesized using starting materials such as glass waste and lime, brick, autoclaved aerated concrete (ACC), mortar or plaster waste. The structure and mechanical properties of the nano-composite materials have been studied. The mean CaCO₃ crystallite sizes are higher for composites containing ACC and brick than for doping with lime, mortar and plaster. Cement-based materials are formed by replacing 2.5% of the Portland cement with limestone–silicate composites. The results indicate new possibilities for introducing 2.5%of composites in cement paste because they promote the formation of the C-S-H network, which provides strength and long stability for the cement paste. The influence of varied types of mix composites in the expired cement on the initial cracking strain and stress, tensile strength and compressive strength were investigated. The compressive strength values of composite-expired cement specimens are situated between 11.8 and 15.7 MPa, respectively, which reflect an increase from 22.9 up to 63.54% over the compressive strength of expired cement matrix.