Technical Note

Laboratory Tests on Swelling Properties of Field-Coring

Gypsum Rock in Tunnels
Chongbang Xu 1, Haoju Fan 2, Xu Zhao 2,*, Lifeng Fan 2 and Peng Wang 2

1 Bridge and Tunnel Research Center, Research Institute of Highway Ministry Transport,
Beijing 100088, China
2 College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China

* Correspondence: [email protected]

Abstract: The reaction between gypsum rock and water results in swelling deformation and swell-
ing pressure. Swelling deformation and swelling pressure cause damage to underground engineer-
ing such as tunnels. It is of significance to study the swelling characteristics of gypsum rock. The
variation in maximum radial free-swelling ratio, axial free-swelling ratio, lateral restricted-swelling
ratio and lateral restricted-swelling pressure of gypsum rock with a water immersion time of 2880
min were investigated experimentally. The early swelling characteristics were further discussed and
described by an S-shaped model. The results show that the swelling ratio and swelling pressure
increase rapidly as the immersion time increases for the first 120 min. Subsequently, the swelling
ratio and swelling pressure increase slowly and become stable as the immersion time further in-
creases. At the 120th minute, the maximum radial free-swelling ratio, axial free-swelling ratio, lat-
eral restricted-swelling ratio and lateral restricted-swelling pressure of gypsum rock reach more
than 80% of their final values (2880 min in the present study). Based on the swelling characteristics
of gypsum rock during the first 120 min, an S-shaped swelling-time model was introduced to de-
scribe the early swelling behavior of gypsum rock.

Keywords: gypsum rock; swelling behavior; laboratory test; swelling model

1. Introduction

Citation: Xu, C.; Fan, H.; Zhao, X.;

Gypsum rock is deposited in many geological ages. The main components of the rock
Fan, L.; Wang, P. Laboratory Tests
are anhydrite and gypsum. By the invasion of water, the anhydrite component (CaSO4)
on Swelling Properties of can be hydrated in gypsum rock (the main component is CaSO 4·2H2O) [1,2]. In this pro-
Field-Coring Gypsum Rock in cedure, swelling deformation and swelling pressure are developed in the rock mass. The
Tunnels. Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719. swelling deformation and swelling pressure of gypsum rock may cause damage, which
https://doi.org/10.3390/app13020719 finally affects the stability of the engineering site [3–6]. Therefore, it is of practical signifi-
cance to study the swelling characteristics of gypsum rock [4,5,7,8].
Academic Editors: Ricardo Castedo
The swelling of gypsum rock is the result of coupling effects of physical swelling and
and Arcady Dyskin
chemical swelling [9]. Because of the physical and chemical coupling, the process of com-
Received: 25 October 2022 plete hydration of anhydrite into gypsum lasts a long time and produces swelling defor-
Revised: 17 December 2022 mation and swelling pressure [10–12]. By studying the hydration and swelling mecha-
Accepted: 19 December 2022
nism of anhydrite, a 62.6% increase in molar volume was found during the hydration of
Published: 4 January 2023
anhydrite into gypsum [13,14]. The maximum swelling pressure of the sample in the
Gipskeuper formation was found to reach 16.0 MPa [15]. In order to study the growth of
swelling pressure during the hydration of anhydrite into gypsum, a swelling pressure test
Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Li-
censee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This was carried out for more than two years. Swelling pressure increased rapidly in the early
article is an open access article distrib- stage of the test, and in the first few hours of the experiment, several large-scale increases
uted under the terms and conditions of
the Creative Commons Attribution
were observed in the test [15–17]. Some scholars believed that the swelling pressure at the
(CC BY) license (https://creativecom- engineering site may be smaller than the value measured in the laboratory because of the
mons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). certain scale effect [7,15,18]. In order to measure the swelling pressure at the engineering

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13020719 www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719 2 of 15

construction site, pressure cells were installed inside the Lilla tunnel to record changes in
swelling pressure over time. During the monitoring period of more than one year, the
swelling pressure did not reach 16.0 MPa, but the overall swelling law was similar to la-
boratory research. The swelling pressure increased rapidly in the early stage, and then
gradually became slower [4]. In the long-term test of swelling characteristics in these la-
boratories and fields, the swelling pressure was different, but its overall swelling law was
similar. A rapid growth of the swelling force in the early stage of the test was observed.
In some tunnel engineering, due to groundwater or construction water providing
enough water for gypsum-rock hydration reaction, the tunnel could be destroyed by the
swelling of gypsum rock in a short time. For example, the Chienberg road tunnel suffered
severe swelling and damage in a short period of time during the excavation [11]. Some
scholars have studied the swelling characteristics of mudstone, shale and other rocks.
Some strength tests were carried out on the swelling mudstone samples with different
water content, and a complete empirical formula for predicting the mechanical properties
of swelling mudstone was established [19]. Wetting tests were conducted using an envi-
ronmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM), which addresses the swelling property
of argillaceous rock under resaturated conditions[20]. A solid model with cohesive ele-
ments based on the finite element method was used to predict the generation of micro-
cracks in shale rock[21].
The swelling of the existing research on gypsum rock characteristics is of great sig-
nificance. However, these studies have focused on the long-term expansion properties of
gypsum rock and are very time-consuming, both for laboratory experiments and field
tests. Additionally, there are few studies on the swelling characteristics of gypsum rock
in the short term. In this study, an S-shaped swelling-time model was put forward
through laboratory experiments to explore the early swelling characteristics of gypsum
rocks. Studying the short-term swelling characteristics of gypsum rock can help to better
understand the swelling characteristics of gypsum rock and can provide some reference
for preventing early swelling disasters.

2. Preparation
2.1. Sample Preparation
In this study, the original rock of the sample is collected from a tunnel jobsite in
Lvliang City, Shanxi Province, China. The tunnel structure has suffered a rock swelling
disaster. The destruction of the tunnel is shown in Figure 1. According to the X-ray dif-
fraction analysis, the main mineral composition of the gypsum rock is 75% gypsum, 19.8%
anhydrite and 5.2% quartz, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1. Swelling disaster of Dugongling tunnel in Shanxi province.

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719 3 of 15

18,000 

16,000  — Gypsun
14,000  — Anhydrite
p — Quartz
12,000

Intensity(Counts)
10,000
8000
6000
 

4000 
 
2000 p

        p

0

10 20 30 40 50 60
2q ( ° )

Figure 2. Mineral components of present gypsum rock.

Rock core-cutting technology was adopted to process the samples, and dry-wind
cooling was used to avoid pre-swelling of the sample during processing. The gypsum
samples to be tested were drilled from an original rock in parallel directions to avoid the
influence of rock structures of different layers.
Three groups of samples are used in this study, as shown in Figure 3, for the free-
swelling ratio test, the lateral restricted-swelling ratio test and the lateral restricted-swell-
ing pressure test. The left column in Figure 3 shows group 1, with a diameter of 50.0 mm
and a height of 50.0 mm, for the free-swelling ratio test, numbered PA-1, PA-2 and PA-3,
respectively. The middle column in Figure 3 shows group 2, with a diameter of 50.0 mm
and a height of 25.0 mm, for the lateral restricted-swelling ratio test, numbered PB-1, PB-
2 and PB-3, respectively. The right column in Figure 3 shows group 3, with a diameter of
50.0 mm and a height of 25.0 mm, for the lateral restricted-swelling pressure test, num-
bered PC-1, PC-2 and PC-3, respectively. The dimensions of the samples are shown in
Table 1.

Figure 3. Gypsum rock and laboratory rock samples.

Table 1. Dimensions of gypsum rock samples.

Size Number Classification of Test

Group 1 Φ50 mm × 50 mm PA-1, PA-2, PA-3 free-swelling ratio
Group 2 Φ50 mm × 25 mm PB-1, PB-2, PB-3 lateral restricted-swelling ratio
lateral restricted-swelling pres-
Group 3 Φ50 mm × 25 mm PC-1, PC-2, PC-3
sure
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719 4 of 15

2.2. Dehydration
To remove free water and crystallization water from the gypsum rock samples, a
MXQ1200-50 box heating furnace was used to progress high temperature dehydration.
The samples were placed in the furnace and heated to 220 °C with a heating ratio of 5.0
°C/min, and were then kept at a constant temperature for 2880 min. Finally, the furnace
was turned off and the samples were cooled to room temperature. After this procedure,
the rock sample color changed to a light gray, the bedding was clearly visible, and the
surface was smooth with no obvious cracks.

3. Experimental Investigation
3.1. Free-Swelling Ratio Test
Rock free-swelling ratio is defined as the ratio of the radial (axial) deformation of the
rock sample after immersion in water to the original radial (axial) dimension of the sam-
ple. The three samples of group 1 were tested. The YS-II rock-swelling ratio setup was
produced as shown in Figure 4. It can be seen from Figure 4 that there were four dial
indicators in the horizontal direction, numbered dial indicator 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively.
These dial indicators were used to record the swelling and deformation in the horizontal
direction. There was a dial indicator in the vertical direction, numbered dial indicator 5.
This dial indicator recorded the axial swelling ratio of the sample. The radial deformation
and the axial deformation could be tested simultaneously by this device.

Figure 4. YS-II rock-swelling ratio setup.

During the test, 2 pieces of permeable stone were placed both at the upper and lower
ends of the sample, respectively. To ensure the flatness of the contact surface between the
top of the dial indicator and the sample, a metal block was placed on the axial direction.
Dial indicators 1 and 3 were perpendicular to the direction of bedding; the recorded data
were recorded as radial-swelling ratio 1. Dial indicators 2 and 4 were parallel to bedding
direction; the recorded data were recorded as radial-swelling ratios 2 and 4, respectively.
Dial indicator 5 recorded the axial-swelling ratio of the sample.
The dial indicators were calibrated before test. After the calibration, water was slowly
poured into the container until the upper permeable stone was merged. Within the first
hour, the dial indicator data were recorded every 10 min. During the testing period of the
remaining 2820 min, the deformation and water immersion time were recorded every 60
min. The water temperature was kept with a variation within ±2.0 °C during the experi-
ment. The water level was also kept stable.
The free-swelling ratio can be expressed as

V =   100% , (1)
D
where V represents the free-swelling ratio (%), which can be axial free-swelling ratio and
radial free-swelling ratio; D represents the original dimension of the sample in the free
swelling ratio test, which can be the original height or the original diameter of the sample;
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719 5 of 15

and  represents the deformation of the sample in the free-swelling ratio test, which can
be the axial deformation or the radial deformation of the sample.
Therefore, the axial free-swelling ratio can be expressed as
H F
VH F = 100% , (2)
HF

and the radial free-swelling ratio calculation equation can be expressed as

DF
VDF = 100% , (3)
DF

where VH F represents the axial free-swelling ratio and VDF represents the radial free-
swelling ratio; H F represents the original height of the sample and DF represents the
original diameter of the sample in the free-swelling ratio test; H F represents the axial -
deformation value of the sample, and DF represents the radial-deformation value of the
sample in the free-swelling ratio test.

3.2. Lateral Restricted-Swelling Ratio Test

Lateral restricted-swelling ratio refers to the ratio of the axial-swelling deformation
of rock sample after immersion in water to the original axial dimension of the sample. The
three samples of group 2 were tested in the YS-II rock-swelling ratio setup. The YS-II rock-
swelling ratio setup was produced as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. YS-II rock-swelling ratio setup with metal limit.

During the test, petroleum jelly was applied on the inner side of the round metal
collar. Then, the sample was fixed into the metal collar for the constraint lateral defor-
mation. Two pieces of permeable stone were placed both at the upper and lower ends of
the sample, respectively.
After the dial indicators were calibrated, water was slowly poured into the container
until the upper permeable stone was merged. Within the first hour, the dial indicator data
were recorded every 10 min. During the testing period of the remaining 2820 min, the
deformation and water-immersion time were recorded every 60 min. The water tempera-
ture was kept with a variation within 2.0 °C during the experiment. The water level was
also kept stable.
The lateral restricted-swelling ratio can be expressed as
H L
VH L = 100% , (4)
HL
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719 6 of 15

where VH L represents the lateral restricted-swelling ratio, H L represents the original

height of the sample in the lateral restricted-swelling ratio test, and H L represents the
axial deformation of the sample in the lateral restricted-swelling ratio test.

3.3. Lateral Restricted-Swelling Pressure Test

A series of rock lateral restricted-swelling tests were designed to investigate the axial
swelling pressure of rock after immersion in water with lateral constraints. Three samples
with diameters of 50.0 mm and heights of 25.0 mm numbered PC-1, PC-2 and PC-3 were
tested on the YYP-40 rock swelling-ratio setup. The YYP-40 rock swelling-ratio setup was
produced as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. YYP-40 rock-swelling pressure setup.

During the test, petroleum jelly was applied on the inner side of the round metal
collar. Then, the sample was fixed into the metal circle to constrain lateral deformation.
Two pieces of permeable stone were placed both at the upper and lower ends of the sam-
ple, respectively. The dial indicator and the monitor were calibrated. The water was
slowly poured into the container until the upper permeable stone was submerged. When
the amount of deformation accumulated to more than 0.001 mm, pressure was loaded on
the sample top to ensure a constant volume, thus the thickness of the test sample remained
unchanged throughout the test. At the beginning, the test data were recorded every 10
min. When the difference between 2 adjacent data was smaller than 0.001 mm for 3 con-
secutive times, the deformation was considered to be stable and the test load was rec-
orded. In order to further study the relationship between the swelling pressure and the
immersion time, the swelling pressure was recorded at the same time points as in the
swelling-ratio test. The immersion time was 2880 min. The water temperature change was
smaller than ±2.0 °C and the water level was kept constant during the experiment.
The lateral restricted-swelling pressure can be expressed as

p = F / A, (5)

where p represents lateral restricted-swelling pressure, F represents the axial load and A
represents the cross-sectional area of the sample.

4. Results and Discussion

In the present study, gypsum rock samples after dehydration are used to study the
swelling characteristics, the variation in free-swelling ratio, the lateral restricted-swelling
ratio and the lateral restricted-swelling pressure of gypsum rock with a water immersion
time within 2880 min were tested by using a rock-swelling-ratio setup and rock-swelling-
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719 7 of 15

pressure setup. The early swelling characteristics change laws are further discussed.
Based on the swelling characteristics of gypsum rock during the first 120 min, an S-shaped
swelling-time model was introduced to describe the early swelling behavior of gypsum
rock.

4.1. Free-Swelling Ratio

The test results of free-swelling ratio are listed in Table 2 and plotted in Figure 7a–c,
respectively. It can be seen from Figure 7a–c that the variations with time of the free-swell-
ing ratios of the three samples are similar. It can be seen from Figure 7a that, during the
first 120 min, the free-swelling ratios of the radial direction 1, the radial direction 2 and
the axial direction of the samples PA-1, PA-2 and PA-3 all increase rapidly as the immer-
sion time increases. Radial direction 1 represents the sum of the numerical changes in dial
indicators 1 and 3, while radial direction 2 represents the other direction. The axial-direc-
tion swelling ratio is calculated by dial indicator 5, as shown in Figure 4. After the first
120 min, the free-swelling ratios of radial direction 1, radial direction 2 and the axial di-
rection increase slowly as the immersion time increases. Similar to previous research, the
largest value of the free-swelling ratios of radial directions 1 and 2 is defined as the max-
imum radial free-swelling ratio, which is used to show the free-swelling behavior parallel
to the gypsum layer.

12 16

14
10
12
Free-swelling ratio V (%)

Free-swelling ratio V (%)

8
10

6 8

6
4

PA-1 Radial direction 1

4
2 PA-1 Radial direction 2 PA-2 Radial direction 1
PA-1 Axial direction 2 PA-2 Radial direction 2
PA-2 Axial direction
0 0

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
Time t (min) Time t (min)

(a) (b)
14

12
Free-swelling ratio V (%)

10

4
PA-3 Radial direction 1
PA-3 Radial direction 1
2
PA-3 Axial direction

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000

Time t (min)

(c)
Figure 7. Free-swelling ratio: (a) Sample 1; (b) Sample 2; (c) Sample 3.
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719 8 of 15

Table 2. Free-swelling ratio.

Radial Direction 1 Radial Direction 2 Axial Direction

Swelling Ratio in the Swelling Ratio in the Swelling Ratio in the
2880th Minute (%) 2880th Minute (%) 2880th Minute (%)
PA-1 10.86 4.53 6.02
PA-2 14.50 4.94 5.71
PA-3 12.10 6.82 7.03

In order to further understand the maximum radial free-swelling deformation and

axial free-swelling deformation of gypsum rock, the average value of the maximum radial
free-swelling ratio is achieved as shown in Figure 8. The average value of the axial free-
swelling ratio is achieved as shown in Figure 9.

O A B O C D A
16
Maximum radial free-swelling ratio VD (%)

10

Maximum radial free-swelling ratio VD (%)

14
F

F
8
12

10
6
8
4
6
PA-1 PA-1
4 PA-2 PA-2
PA-3 2
PA-3
2 Average value
Average value
0
0

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Time t (min) Time t (min)

(a) (b)
Figure 8. Maximum radial free-swelling ratio. Relationship between the maximum radial free-swell-
ing ratio and time for (a) 2880 min and (b) during the first 120 min.

8
O A B O C D A
7 5
Axial free-swelling ratio VH (%)
Axial free-swelling ratio VH (%)

6
F

4
F

5
3
4

3 2
PA-1
PA-1 PA-2
2
PA-2
1 PA-3
PA-3
1 Average value
Average value

0 0

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Time t (min) Time t (min)

(a) (b)
Figure 9. Axial free-swelling ratio. Variation in axial free-swelling ratio for (a) 2880 min and (b)
during the first 120 min.

Figure 8 shows the maximum radial free-swelling ratio variation as time increases. It
can be seen from Figure 8a that there is an inflection point when the maximum radial free-
swelling ratio increases as time increases (t = 120 min in the present study). Before the
inflection point, the maximum radial free-swelling ratio increases rapidly with the in-
crease in immersion time. After the inflection point, the maximum radial free-swelling
ratio becomes stable as immersion time further increases. The maximum radial free-
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719 9 of 15

swelling ratio at the inflection point is about 70.0% of the maximum radial free-swelling
ratio at 2880 min.
Figure 8b shows the relationship between the maximum radial free-swelling ratio
and the time for the first 120 min. It can be seen from Figure 8b that, as immersion time
increases, the radial free-swelling ratio increases slowly at first, then rapidly, and then
becomes slow again in the final period. The radial free-swelling ratio shows as an S-
shaped increase trend with the increase in immersion time. The maximum radial free-
swelling ratio reached 8.83% during the first 120 min.
Figure 9a shows the variation in axial free-swelling ratio with time. During the first
120 min, the axial free-swelling ratio increases rapidly with the increase in immersion
time. After 120 min, the axial free-swelling ratio increases slowly with the increase in im-
mersion time. The maximum axial free-swelling ratio after immersion for 2880 min
reaches 6.26%.
Figure 9b shows the variation in axial free-swelling ratio for the first 120 min. The
axial free-swelling ratio also shows an S-shaped increasing tendency. The axial free-swell-
ing ratio increases slowly at first, then rapidly, and slowly again later on. The axial free-
swelling ratio reaches 4.54% at the 120th minute. Therefore, more than 73.0 % swelling
deformation had taken place after the first 120 min.
It can be seen from Table 3 and Figures 8a and 9a that the increase in the swelling
ratio with time can be divided into two stages. The first stage is the first 120 minutes of
the OA segment. During this period, the swelling ratio grows rapidly. The second stage
takes place between the 120th and the 2880th minute of the AB segment. During this pe-
riod, the swelling ratio grows slowly.
The early expansion of gypsum rock is carried out along all directions. However, the
maximum radial free-swelling ratio occurs in the radial direction, while there is a signifi-
cant difference between the axial free-swelling ratio and the maximum radial free-swell-
ing ratio, which indicates that the swelling characteristics of gypsum rock are different in
different joint directions. After the gypsum rock comes into contact with water, the rock
surface expands at first, causing difficulty for the water to enter and slowing down the
subsequent expansion behavior.

Table 3. Maximum radial free-swelling ratio.

Average Value of Average Value of Average Value

Maximum Ra- Axial in the Average Value of
Maximum Radial Maximum Radial of Axial in the
dial in the 2880th 2880th Minute Axial in the 2880th
in the 2880th Mi- in the 120th Mi- 120th Minute
Minute (%) (%) Minute (%)
nute (%) nute (%) (%)
PA-1 10.86 6.02
PA-2 14.50 5.71 12.48 6.26 8.82 4.53
PA-3 12.10 7.03

4.2. Lateral Restricted-Swelling Ratio

Table 4 shows the experimental results of the lateral restricted-swelling ratio test,
which were plotted in Figure 10. It can be seen from Figure 10a that, in the initial stage of
water immersion, the sample swells and the axial lateral restricted-swelling ratio increases
rapidly with the increase in immersion time for the first 120 min. After 120 min, the axial
lateral restricted-swelling ratio increases slowly as the immersion time further increases,
reaching 3.07% after immersion for 2880 min.
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719 10 of 15

4.0 O C D A
O A B 3.0
Lateral restricted axial-swellling ratio VH (%)

Lateral restricted-swelling ratio VHL (%)

3.5
L

2.5
3.0

2.5 2.0

2.0
1.5
1.5 PB-1
PB-1 1.0 PB-2
1.0 PB-2 PB-3
PB-3 Average value
0.5 Average value 0.5

0.0 0.0

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Time t (min) Time t (min)

(a) (b)
Figure 10. Axial lateral restricted-swelling ratio. Variation in axial lateral restricted-swelling ratio
for (a) 2880 min and (b) during the first 120 min.

Table 4. Lateral restricted-swelling ratio.

Average Value Average Value

2880th Minute 120th Minute
in the 2880th Mi- in the 120th Mi-
(%) (%)
nute (%) nute (%)
PB-1 3.64 2.78
PB-2 3.02 3.36 2.47 2.58
PB-3 3.42 2.49

Figure 10b shows the variation in axial lateral restricted-swelling ratio during the
first 120 min. The axial lateral restricted-swelling ratio shows an S-shaped increase with
the increase in immersion time. As immersion time increases, the swelling ratio increases
slowly at first, then increases rapidly, and finally becomes constant. The radial-swelling
ratio reaches 2.58% at the 120th minute, and about 76.8 % of that after 2880 min.
It can be seen from Table 4 and Figure 10 that the increasing axial lateral restricted-
swelling ratio with time can also be divided into two stages. The first stage is the first 120
minutes of the OA segment. During this period, the swelling ratio grows rapidly. The
second stage takes place between the 120th and the 2880th minute of the AB segment.
During this period, the swelling ratio grows rapidly.
Compared with the free-swelling deformation, the swelling deformation of gypsum
rock under lateral restricted conditions is smaller. It may be that the lateral restricted en-
vironment brings resistance to the expansion of gypsum rock and slows down the reaction
between water and gypsum rock.

4.3. Lateral Restricted-Swelling Pressure

Table 5 shows the experimental results of lateral restricted-swelling pressure, which
were plotted in Figure 11. It can be seen from Figure 11 that, in the initial stage of water
immersion, the lateral restricted-swelling pressure increases rapidly. After 120 min, the
lateral restricted-swelling pressure increases slowly with the increase in immersion time.
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719 11 of 15

6 O C D A

Lateral restricted-swelling pressure p (MPa)

Lateral restricted axial-swelling pressure p (MPa)
O A B 5
5
4
4
3
3

2
2 PC-1 PC-1
PC-2 PC-2
PC-3 PC-3
Average value
1
1 Average value

0 0

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Time t (min) Time t (min)

(a) (b)
Figure 11. Lateral restricted-swelling pressure. Variation in axial lateral restricted-swelling pressure
with time for (a) 2880 min and (b) during the first 120 min.

Table 5. Lateral restricted-swelling pressure.

Average Value in Average Value in

2880th Minute 120th Minute
the 2880th Minute the 120th Minute
(MPa) (MPa)
(MPa) (MPa)
PC-1 5.19 4.00
PC-2 4.74 4.75 4.17 3.71
PC-3 4.32 2.94

Figure 11a shows the variation in lateral restricted-swelling pressure with time. Dur-
ing the first 120 min, its increasing trend is similar to the free-swelling ratio test and the
lateral restricted-swelling ratio test. Lateral restricted-swelling pressure increases rapidly
with the increase in immersion time. However, after 120 min, the lateral restricted-swell-
ing pressure tends to be flat, and no obvious increase can be observed. The lateral re-
stricted-swelling pressure after immersion for 2880 min reaches 4.75 MPa.
Figure 11b shows the variation in lateral restricted-swelling pressure during the first
120 min. The lateral restricted-swelling pressure shows an S-shaped increase with the in-
crease in immersion time. As immersion time increases, the lateral restricted-swelling
pressure increases slowly at first, then increases rapidly, and it finally becomes stable. The
swelling pressure reaches 3.71 MPa at the 120th minute, which is 78.1% of the lateral re-
stricted-swelling pressure after immersion for 2880 min. Similar to previous sections, it
can also be seen from Table 5 and Figure 11a that the increasing lateral restricted-swelling
pressure with time can be divided into two stages. The first stage is the first 120 minutes
of OA segment. During this period, the lateral restricted-swelling pressure grows rapidly.
The second stage takes place between the 120th and the 2880th minute of the AB segment.
During this period, the lateral restricted-swelling pressure grows rapidly. Under lateral
restricted conditions, the swelling pressure shows similar laws to the swelling defor-
mation.
The early swelling deformation and swelling stress of gypsum rock change rapidly,
and the expansion rate slows down with time. Compared with the free expansion, the
expansion characteristics of gypsum rock with lateral restricted swelling are less ex-
pressed. The swelling stress occurs simultaneously with the swelling deformation, show-
ing a similar law.
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719 12 of 15

5. An S-Shaped Swelling-Time Model

Based on the previous analysis of the test results, the swelling ratio and swelling
pressure with the immersion time within 2880 min has two main stages, which can be
seen in Figures 8–11. The first stage takes place during the first 120 minutes of the OA
segment. This stage is the rapid-growth stage. The second stage takes place between the
120th and the 2880th minute of the AB segment and it is a slow-growth and stable stage.
Around 120 min, at point A at the end of the first stage, the free-swelling ratio, the
lateral restricted-swelling ratio and the lateral restricted-swelling pressure reach more
than 70% of those after 2880 min. This explains the rapid growth of the OA segment. After
expanding the OA segment, it can be seen from Figures 8b, 9b, 10b and 11b that the swell-
ing ratio or swelling pressure has three main growth stages in the first 120 min. There are
two obvious turning points in these three stages. They are point C, at about the 10th mi-
nute, and point D, at about the 50th minute. The first stage covers from minutes 0 to 10 of
the OC segment. During this period, the swelling ratio grows slowly. During the second
stage, from minutes 10 to 50 of the CD segment, the swelling ratio grows rapidly. The
third stage, takes place from minutes 50 to 120 of the DA segment. During this period, the
swelling ratio grows slowly and gradually flattens.
Gypsum rock often takes a long time to fully swell. However, in the early stage of
immersion, the swelling ratio and swelling pressure increase rapidly. In view of the
“swelling-time” characteristics and “S”-shaped growth characteristics of gypsum rock in
the early stage of water immersion, a model was proposed to describe the early swelling
behavior of gypsum rock [22]. The relationship between the swelling ratio and the swell-
ing pressure with the immersion time can be expressed by
A1
S (t ) = A2 − ,
t (6)
1 + ( ) A4
A3

where t is the immersion time, S(t) can be the maximum radial-swelling ratio, axial free-
swelling ratio, lateral restricted-swelling ratio and lateral restricted-swelling pressure,
and A1, A2, A3 and A4 are the parameters.
The S-shaped model was used to predict the swelling behavior of gypsum rock. Fig-
ure 12a–d were used to predict the maximum radial free-swelling ratio, axial free-swelling
ratio, lateral restricted-swelling ratio and lateral restricted-swelling pressure, respectively.
The fitting parameters are shown in detail in Table 6. It can be observed from Figure 12
and Table 6 that the S-shaped model can describe the swelling behavior of gypsum rock
with a high accuracy. The correlation coefficients are as large as 0.99 in the present study.
For gypsum rock composed of gypsum and other non-swelling minerals, the S-shape
model can provide some reference for preventing early swelling disasters.

10 5
Maximum radial free-swelling ratio VD (%)
F

8 4
Axial free-swelling ratio VH (%)
F

6 3

4 2

2 Eeperimental result
Fitting result 1 Experimental result
Fitting result

0
0

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Time t (min) Time t (min)

(a) (b)
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719 13 of 15

2.5 4

Lateral restricted-swelling pressure p (MPa)

Lateral restricted-swelling ratio VH (%)

2.0
L

1.5
2
1.0

Experimental result 1 Experimental result

0.5 Fitting result Fitting result

0.0 0

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Time t (min) Time t (min)

(c) (d)
Figure 12. Swelling-time model. (a) Maximum radial free-swelling ratio; (b) axial free-swelling ratio;
(c) lateral restricted-swelling ratio; (d) lateral restricted-swelling pressure.

Table 6. Parameters of S-model.

A1 A2 A3 A4 R2

Maximum radial free-

VDF 3.88 3.86 37.77 2.74 0.99
swelling ratio

Axial free-swelling ratio

2.54 2.53 34.96 2.05 0.99
VH F

Lateral restricted-swell-
VH L 9.42 9.43 35.69 2.12 0.99
ing ratio

Lateral restricted-swell-
p 4.85 4.85 35.74 2.17 0.99
ing pressure

6. Conclusions
The early-age and long-term variation in maximum radial free-swelling ratio, axial
free-swelling ratio and swelling pressure as immersion time increases were investigated,
and an S-shaped model was introduced to describe the early-age swelling behavior of
gypsum rock. The following conclusions were reached:
1. The swelling ratio and swelling pressure of gypsum rock shows similar growth
trends. In the early stage of immersion in gypsum rock, the swelling ratio and swell-
ing pressure increased rapidly, and then gradually slowed down.
2. The swelling characteristics of gypsum rock are different in different joint directions.
Moreover, the lateral constraint environment will affect the expression of the swell-
ing characteristics of gypsum rock.
3. At the 120th minute of the test, the free-swelling ratio, the lateral restricted-swelling
ratio and the lateral restricted-swelling pressure reach 72.3%, 76.8% and 78.1%, re-
spectively, of those at the 2880th min. An S-shaped model can be used to describe the
short-term swelling trend of gypsum rock with a high accuracy.
In this paper, the free-swelling ratio, the lateral restricted-swelling ratio and lateral
restricted-swelling pressure of gypsum rock have been studied by means of laboratory
tests. Some achievements have been made in this research, but the test conditions are
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719 14 of 15

relatively simple, and further research can be carried out from the joint of gypsum rock
and dry–wet-cycle conditions in the future.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, C.X., X.Z. and L.F.; data curation, P.W.; formal analysis,
P.W.; investigation, H.F. and P.W.; visualization, P.W. and H.F.; resources, X.Z. and C.X.; writing—
original draft, P.W.; writing—review and editing, H.F. and P.W. All authors have read and agreed
to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: National Transportation Pilot Project of Highway Research Institute of the Ministry of
Transport (QG2021-1-3-3).
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement: Not applicable.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References
1. Anagnostou, G.; Pimentel, D. Swelling of sulphatic claystones—Some fundamental questions and their practical relevance. Ge-
omech. Tunn. 2010, 3, 567–572.
2. Serafeimidis, K.; Anagnostou, G. On the time-development of sulphate hydration in anhydritic swelling rocks. Rock Mech. Rock
Eng. 2013, 46, 619–634.
3. Anagnostou, G.; Serafeimidis, K.; Vrakas, A. On the occurrence of anhydrite in the sulphatic claystonesof the gypsum Keuper.
Rock Mech. Rock Eng. 2015, 48, 1–13.
4. Alonso, E.E.; Berdugo, I.; Ramon, A. Extreme expansive phenomena in anhydritic-gypsiferous claystone: The case of Lilla tun-
nel. Geotechnique 2013, 63, 584–612.
5. Alonso, E.E.; Ramon, A. Heave of a railway bridge induced by gypsum crystal growth: Field observations. Geotechnique 2013,
63, 707–719.
6. Wittke, G.P.; Wittke, M. Computation of strains and pressures for tunnels in swelling rocks. Tunn. Undergr. Space Technol. 2004,
19, 422–423.
7. Serafeimidis, K.; Anagnostou, G. The Solubilities and thermodynamic equilibrium of anhydrite and gypsum. Rock Mech. Rock
Eng. 2015, 48, 15–21.
8. Butschera, C.; Scheidler, S.; Farhadianc, H.; Huggenberger, P. Swelling potential of clay-sulfate rocks in tunneling in complex
geological settings and impact of hydraulic measures assessed by 3D groundwater modeling. Eng. Geol. 2017, 221, 143–153.
9. Bilir, M.E.; Sari, Y.D.; Özarslan, A.; Ahmet, O.; Melih, G.; Ibrahim, S. Determination of relationship between uniaxial and triaxial
swelling equations for clay bearing rocks. Bull. Eng. Geol .Environ. 2013, 72, 565–577.
10. Einstein, H.H. Tunnelling in difficult ground—Swelling behaviour and identification of swelling rocks. Rock Mech. Rock Eng.
1996, 29, 113–124.
11. Butschera, C.; Huggenbergerb, P.; Zechnerb, E.; Einstein, H.H. Relation between hydrogeological setting and swelling potential
of clay-sulfate rocks in tunneling. Eng. Geol. 2011, 122, 204–214.
12. Vergara1, M.R.; Triantafyllidis, T. Influence of water content on the mechanical propertiesof an argillaceous swelling rock. Rock
Mech. Rock Eng. 2015, 49, 2555–2568.
13. Zanbak, C.; Arthur, R.C. Geochemical and engineering aspects of anhydrite/gypsum phase transitions. Bull. Int. Assoc. Eng.
Geol. 1986, 13, 419–433.
14. Azam, S. Study on the geological and engineering aspects of anhydrite/gypsum transition in the Arabian Gulf coastal deposits.
Bull. Eng. Geol. Environ. 2007, 66, 177–185.
15. Steiner, W. Swelling rock in tunnels: Rock characterization, effect of horizontal stresses and construction procedures. Int. J. Rock
Mech. Min. Sci. Geomech. Abstr. 1993, 30, 361–380.
16. Christoph, B.; Thomas, M.; Philipp, B. Swelling of clay-sulfate rocks: A review of processes and controls. Rock Mech. Rock Eng.
2016, 9, 1533–1549.
17. Schweizer, D.; Prommer, H.; Blum, P.; Butscher, C. Analyzing the heave of an entire city: Modeling of swelling processes in
clay-sulfate rocks. Eng. Geol. 2019, 261, 105259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2019.105259.
18. Butscher, C.; Huggenberger, P.; Zechner, E. Impact of tunneling on regional groundwater flow and implications for swelling of
clay-sulfate rocks. Eng. Geol. 2011, 117, 198-206.
19. Liu, C.D.; Cheng, Y.; Jiao, Y.Y.; Zhang, G.H.; Zhang, W.S.; Ou, G.Z.; Tan, F. Experimental study on the effect of water on me-
chanical properties of swelling mudstone. Eng. Geol. 2021, 295, 106448.
20. Wang, L.L.; Yang, R.W.; Chanchole, S.; Zhang, G.Q. The time-dependent swelling of argillaceous rock under resaturated con-
ditions. Appl. Clay Sci. 2017, 146, 186–194.
21. Liu, B.; Liang, Y.; Ito, T. Numerical study on micro-cracks and permeability changes linked to clay swelling after fracturing in
shale rock. J. Pet. Sci. Eng. 2022, 217, 110847.
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 719 15 of 15

22. Becker, R.H.; Speltz, L.M. Putting the S-curve concept to work. Res. Technol. Manag. 1983, 2, 31–33.

Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual au-
thor(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to
people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.