The effect of specimen diameter size on uniaxial compressive strength, P-wave velocity and the correlation between them

Estimation of uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) by P-wave velocity (VP) is of great interest to geotechnical engineers in various design projects. The specimen diameter size is one of the main factors that influence rock parameters such as UCS and VP. In this study, the diameter size of specimens that effect UCS and VP is investigated. Moreover, the correlation between UCS and VP are examined via empirical analysis. For this purpose, 15 travertine samples were collected and core specimens with a diameters size of 38, 44, 54, 64 and 74 mm were prepared. Then, uniaxial compressive strength and P-wave velocity tests were conducted according to the procedure suggested by ISRM (1981). It is concluded that the diameter size of the specimen has a significant effect on UCS and VP. Moreover, it was found that the best correlation between relevant parameters obtained for the specimen diameter of 38 mm.