Mechanical properties of a weak pyroclastic rock and their relationship with microstructure

The geotechnical behaviour of very weak pyroclastic rocks controls both the failure mechanisms at the margins of rock mesas, where historic hill towns are often sited, as well as the stability of old underground cavities in urban areas of Central Italy. The study focuses on the mechanical behaviour of one of the pyroclastic materials forming the Orvieto mesa (pozzolana), not unlike other pozzolanas in Central and Southern Italy and other pyroclastites from volcanic districts worldwide. The mechanical properties under static conditions of this weakly cemented rock are reported. A petrographic and physical characterization of the material was preliminary conducted, followed by a wide range of mechanical tests: oedometer, uniaxial, and isotropic compression tests and indirect tensile tests. The stress-strain and strength behaviours of the pozzolana are highlighted and compared with those of the rock materials of the pyroclastic formation (tuff). The mechanical behaviour of the pozzolana is related to its physical and textural characters, with special reference to continuity of the groundmass and porosity. Finally, the role of the material behaviour at the field scale is discussed.