Influence of rock specimen diameter size on the ultrasonic pulse velocity and dynamic elastic constants

The ultrasonic pulse velocity including P-wave (Vp) and S-wave (Vs) velocity and elastic constants including the elastic modulus (E) and Poisson’s ratio (ν) are among most important parameters for estimating the strength and deformability properties of rocks. The specimen diameter size is one of the main factors that influence Vp, Vs, E and ν. This study presents the influence of specimen diameter size on the Vp, Vs, E and ν of sandstones. Moreover, we have investigated the accuracy of porosity (n) for estimating the Vp, Vs, E and ν at different diameters size. For this purpose, 10 sandstone samples were collected and core specimens with a diameters size of 24, 40, 54, 68, and 80 mm were prepared. Then, density (ρ), n, Vp, Vs, E and ν of sandstones were determined. It is concluded that the specimen diameter size has a significant influence Vp, Vs, E and ν. Moreover, the results showed that n is in good accuracy for estimating the Vp, Vs and E, while there are no meaningful correlations between ν with n.