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Abstract Clarifying the principles of proportioning optimization for brittle transparent rock-like specimens with differential fracture structures is crucial for the visualization study of the internal fracture and seepage evolution mechanisms in rock masses. This study, utilizing orthogonal experimental methods, uncovers the influence mechanisms, extents, and patterns by which the ratios of resin, hardener, and accelerator, along with the freezing duration, impact the mechanical characteristics of transparent rock-like specimens. Notably, it was observed that as the accelerator ratio and freezing time are increased, there’s a general decline in the uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strength, and elastic modulus of the specimens. In contrast, an increase in the hardener ratio initially leads to an enhancement in these mechanical properties, followed by a subsequent decrease. Under uniaxial compressive loading, the specimens exhibit four typical modes of failure: bursting failure, splitting failure, single inclined plane failure, and bulging failure. As the hardener and accelerator ratios increase, the mode of failure gradually shifts from bulging to bursting, with freezing time having a minor overall impact on the evolution of failure modes. The study proposes a method for inducing random three-dimensional closed fractures within the specimens and further clarifies the principles for optimizing the proportions of specimens with different fracture structures, such as intact, embedded regular, and random three-dimensional fractures. This research facilitates the in-depth application of transparent rock-like materials in various scenarios and provides theoretical guidance and technical support for visualizing the evolution of fracture and seepage characteristics within the fractured rock mass.
Cui et al. (Wed,) studied this question.