Dataset on physical properties and mechanical parameters of limestone rocks from Central Apennines (Italy) by laboratory test on intact rock specimens

Physical properties and mechanical parameters of intact rocks are essential in defining geomechanical characteristics of rock masses. The latter are fundamental in the geotechnical design and numerical modelling of engineering-geological applications involving slope stability analyses as well as the design of dams, foundations, tunnels, open and underground mines, nuclear storage repository etc. Time and financial constraints of many projects often do not allow to perform all the laboratory tests necessary for physical-mechanical characterization of the rock matrix. In these cases, existing published data are the only tools for appropriate definition of the geomechanical characteristics of the intact rocks and subsequent development of engineering-geological performances. This paper reports the values of major physical properties and mechanical parameters for several intact rock samples of limestone, collected from the Central Apennines region (Italy). The main physical properties measured for the rock samples are unit weight, density, and porosity. The mechanical parameters derived from the laboratory tests on the samples include uniaxial compressive strength, cohesion, friction angle, tensile strength, elastic modulus, and Poisson's ratio. Only for a few of samples, the index parameters (point load index) and the dynamic characteristics (P-wave velocity) were also measured. The laboratory tests for these samples were performed following the standards by the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM).