Abstract
To stabilize the energy price, the more storage facilities of energy are required and among the storage methods of LPG and LNG, the method of storage at low temperature under normal confining pressure is considered. It is needed to understand the mechanical and thermal characteristics of rock under temperature variation so that the behaviors of rock can be predicted. In this paper, the variation of the rock charateristics of the Hwangdeung granite and the Boryung sandstone is studied at low temperature. The mechanical characteristics of rock under low temperatures are that as temperature decreased, unaxial compression strength and Young's modulus increased for Hwangdeung granite; strength and Young's modulus in wet condition were greater than those in dry condition. In the case of Boryung sandstone, as temperature decreases unaxial compression strength and Young's modulus increase but decrease below -10$0^{\circ}C$ in dry condition and below -16$0^{\circ}C$ in wet condtion. The mechanical characteristics of rock after cooling to previous temperature and thawing are that uniaxial compression strength and Young's modulus decrease as temperature decreases. Uniaxial compression strength and Young's modulus in wet conditon decrease more than those in dry condition. Brazilian tension strength decreases as temperature decreases.