Preliminary mechanical characterisation of gypsum rock using UCS and Point Load Test correlation

Gypsum is a raw material largely exploited in several parts of the world. Few references about its mechanical characterization are present in scientifc literature, even if mechanical features may constitute an important reference for the planning of mining activities and for the exploitation of this resource. In this work, we report preliminary results about mechanical characterization of gypsum located in the Tertiary Piedmont Basin (TPB), with particular regard to the Uniaxial Compression Strength and its correlation with the parameter Is50 obtained in the Point Load Test. The defnition of a specifc correlation factor will simplify the use of this expeditious and cheaper technique (PLT test) for the mechanical characterization of gypsum.