The use of Schmidt's hammer indentation in the characterization of the mechanical properties of rocks

Abstract

In geotechnics, knowledge of the characteristics of rocks, such as compressive and tensile strengths and elastic properties, is of utmost importance to determine whether a type of rock is suitable for a project. Seeking to facilitate the determination of these parameters, several researchers dedicate their studies to the search for simpler, faster and cheaper methods. These properties are correlated with others that are easier to analyze, such as hardness. A piece of equipment widely used for this is Schmidt's hammer, a type of sclerometer that measures the surface hardness of materials. This instrument correlates its indentation with the properties of the rocks, through simple and direct equations. Thus, the present work aimed to map the literature in which Schmidt's hammer was correlated with uniaxial compressive strength, diametrical tensile strength, modulus of elasticity or Poisson coefficient of rocks. It was verified how the tests are being carried out and how safe their results are.