Data of unloading-induced fracture activation experiments

This dataset archived here is a supplementary material to the study entitled by ‘Simultaneous unloading of shear and normal stresses induces activation of naturally rough-walled sandstone fractures’ by Richeng Liu, Xinjie Zhu, Yuanchao Zhang*, Yujing Jiang, and Shuchen Li. This dataset contains the results of six cyclic unloading-induced fracture slip experiments performed on sandstone specimens using different combinations of unloading rates of normal stress and shear stress and cycle numbers, including mechanical data and displacement data. The first file named by ‘UNLOADING SHEAR-N_005-S_0’ provides the results of cyclic unloading-induced fracture slip experiments performed at the unloading rates of 0.005 MPa/s and 0 MPa/s, respectively, for normal and shear stresses. The second file named by ‘UNLOADING SHEAR-N_005-S_001’ provides the results of cyclic unloading-induced fracture slip experiments performed at the unloading rates of 0.005 MPa/s and 0.001 MPa/s, respectively, for normal and shear stresses. The third file named by ‘UNLOADING SHEAR-N_005-S_003’ provides the results of cyclic unloading-induced fracture slip experiments performed at the unloading rates of 0.005 MPa/s and 0.003 MPa/s, respectively, for normal and shear stresses. The fourth file named by ‘UNLOADING SHEAR-N_01-S_0’ provides the results of cyclic unloading-induced fracture slip experiments performed at the unloading rates of 0.01 MPa/s and 0 MPa/s, respectively, for normal and shear stresses. The fifth file named by ‘UNLOADING SHEAR-N_01-S_001’ provides the results of cyclic unloading-induced fracture slip experiments performed at the unloading rates of 0.01 MPa/s and 0.001 MPa/s, respectively, for normal and shear stresses. The sixth file named by ‘UNLOADING SHEAR-N_01-S_003’ provides the results of cyclic unloading-induced fracture slip experiments performed at the unloading rates of 0.01 MPa/s and 0.003 MPa/s, respectively, for normal and shear stresses. The last number in the name of each sheet in the data tables represents the number of cycles. All results shown are recorded as a function of experimental time. Definition of each column in the data tables is indicated in the corresponding header of the data. For further queries, please feel free to contact [e-mail].