Equipment & Process: Water Well Drilling Rig Tests Rock Hardness

On-site, first use a hydraulic rig to get intact cores. 75mm-diameter core tubes ensure core completeness. Wrap cores in plastic wrap immediately to prevent water loss.

In labs, use a digital pressure tester for uniaxial compression. Place samples on the pressure table; load at 2kN/s until breaking. Record max pressure. A Rockwell hardness tester measures surface hardness to verify results.

For data, use f=R/10 (R = uniaxial compressive strength in MPa) to get Protodyakonov coefficient. A water well drilling rig handles broken rocks with point load tests. Use cone indenters to test strength and infer overall hardness. Finish the process within 24 hours to keep core properties stable.