Rock Mechanics and Physics Laboratory
BGS Science Facilities — Engineering and Geotechnical Capability
The Rock Mechanics and Physics Laboratory (RMPL) undertakes research on the properties and behaviour of rocks and geomaterials at near-surface to shallow crustal depth for georesources (energy; storage), geoengineering (tunnelling) and geohazards (faults; earthquakes).
Beneath our feet, rocks continuously deform, slide and move differently across a large spectrum of environmental conditions (pressure; temperature; fluid chemistry, etc.) and time — very slowly in creep mode for instance, or very rapidly during an earthquake. These coupled processes take place at all scales, from atomic level mineral/fluid interfaces to continental faults, mostly at inaccessible, deep locations precluding direct observations.
Laboratory capabilities
RMPL is the home of BGS’s large-scale rock deformation apparatus and specialises in standard (ISRM and ASTM) and bespoke geomechanical and rock physics testing.
Testing
- Strength (triaxial and uniaxial)
- Deformability
- Thermal properties
- Geophysical properties
- Permeability
- Porosity
- Density
Equipment
- MTS 815 Rock Testing System (4.6 MN capacity servo-controlled, hydraulic load frame)
- Servo-controlled confining pressure up to 140 MPa
- Servo-controlled pore fluid pressure up to 100 MPa (water and brines)
- Heating system up to 180°C
- Four internal load cells (from 250 to 2600 kN)
- Direct contact axial and circumferential strain gauges (extensometer type)
- Ultrasonic measurements (up to 18 electrical feedthroughs)
- Point Load Strength Index
Sample assembly ready for fluid saturated triaxial testing. BGS © UKRI.
Fault mirror in a limestone sample. BGS © UKRI.
Sheared lab vs numerical samples. Image courtesy of © James Woodman.
Shear and compaction bands experimentally induced. BGS © UKRI.
Extremely sheared sandstone sample. BGS © UKRI.
Chevron notched granite sample for fracture toughness test. BGS © UKRI.
Suite of samples. BGS © UKRI.
A full list is available on the RMPL ResearchGate page.
- Agliardi, F, Dobbs, M R, Zanchetta, S, and Vinciguerra, S. 2017. Folded fabric tunes rock deformation and failure mode in the upper crust. Scientific Reports, Vol. 7(1), 1–9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15523-1
- Castagna, A, Ougier‐Simonin, A, Benson, P M, Browning, J, Walker, R J, Fazio, M, and Vinciguerra, S. 2018. Thermal damage and pore pressure effects of the brittle–ductile transition in Comiso Limestone. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 123(9), 7644–7660. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2017JB015105
- Dobbs, M R, Cuss, R J, Ougier-Simonin, A, Parkes, D, and Graham, C C. 2018. Yield envelope assessment as a preliminary screening tool to determine carbon capture and storage viability in depleted southern North Sea hydrocarbon reservoirs. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, Vol. 102, 15–27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2017.11.018
- Martin-Clave, C, Ougier-Simonin, A, Marshall, A M, and Vandeginste, V. 2019. Impact of impurities in salt rock for underground gas storage in salt caverns. 82nd EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition.
- Ougier-Simonin, A, and Pluymakers, A. 2018. Exploring the effect of fluid chemistry on carbonate failure strength. EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, Vol. 20, 19548.
- Panza, E, Agosta, F, Rustichelli, A, Vinciguerra, S C, Ougier-Simonin, A, Dobbs, M, and Prosser, G. 2019. Meso-to-microscale fracture porosity in tight limestones, results of an integrated field and laboratory study. Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 103, 581–595. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2019.01.043
- Vannucchi, P, Clarke, A P, de Montserrat Navarro, A, Ougier-Simonin, A, Aldega, L, and Morgan, J P. 2019. The strength inversion origin of non-volcanic tremor: observations and models. American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2019.
- Woodman, J, Ougier-Simonin, A, Murphy, W, and Thomas, M E. 2018. Thermal effects on discontinuity behavior: a laboratory scale study. 52nd US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, Seattle, Washington.
- European Union’s Horizon 2020 ERA-NET Co-fund ACT (Accelerating CCS Technologies) programme (phase 2) REX-CO2: reusing existing wells for CO2 storage operations (2019–2022).
- University of Leicester CSE studentships: the physical and mechanical properties of natural fault zones in basaltic volcanic rocks (2018–2021).
- European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme European Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage Laboratory Research Infrastructure (ECCSEL) ERIC
- University of Nottingham GeoEnergy Research Centre programme: impact of impurities and salt structures on environmental risks of gas storage in salt caverns (2016–2020).
- Petromaks2/PROMETHEUS: Microfracturing in Black Shales and Their Transport Properties (Norwegian Research Council / PI: Prof. F. Renard) (2017–2021).
- European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme EPOS IP-the European Plate Observing System, Implementation Phase, Grant Agreement No. 676564; Thematic Core Service Multi-Scale Laboratories (2015–2019).
Need more information?
You may also be interested in
Science facilities
We operate and maintain a wide range of state-of-the-art laboratories and other facilities, which underpin virtually all of our research.
Engineering and Geotechnical Capability
The BGS Engineering and Geotechnical Capability leads the development and application of field and laboratory infrastructure and long-term management of geophysical and geotechnical property data.