Combined High-Energy Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction and Computed Tomography to Characterize Fracture Behavior of Sand

Nondestructive 3D synchrotron micro-computed tomography (SMT) is a powerful imaging technique for geomaterials with a micron resolution. It can be used to acquire in situ scans of specimens and monitor deformation, crack initiation, etc. 3D x-ray diffraction (3DXRD) microscopy is also a non-destructive 3D technique that can be used to monitor in situ dynamic processes of polycrystalline materials. 3DXRD offer complementary measurements for SMT to experimentally characterize the consitituive behavior of geomaterials. It represents a new opportunity to experimentally measure lattice strains of crytalline materials. The presentation will discuss the potential of both SMT and 3DXRD in testing geomaterials with emphasis on the behavior of silica sand.