###### Abstract  
This study investigated the effects of freezing temperature under freeze-thaw cycling conditions on the mechanical behavior of sandstone. First, the sandstone specimens were subjected to 10-time freeze-thaw cycling treatments at different freezing temperatures (\(-20\), \(-40\), \(-50\), and \(-60\)\({}^{\circ}\)C). Subsequently, a series of density, ultrasonic wave, and static and dynamic mechanical behavior tests were carried out. Finally, the effects of freezing temperature on the density, P-wave velocity, stress-strain curves, static and dynamic uniaxial compressive strength, static elastic modulus, and dynamic energy absorption of sandstone were discussed. The results show that the density slightly decreases as temperature decreases, approximately by 1.0% at \(-60\)\({}^{\circ}\)C compared with that at 20 \({}^{\circ}\)C. The P-wave velocity, static and dynamic uniaxial compressive strength, static elastic modulus, and dynamic energy absorption obviously decrease. As freezing temperature decreases from 20 to \(-60\)\({}^{\circ}\)C, the static uniaxial compressive strength, static elastic modulus, dynamic strength, and dynamic energy absorption of sandstone decrease by 16.8%, 21.2%, 30.8%, and 30.7%, respectively. The dynamic mechanical behavior is more sensitive to the freezing temperature during freeze-thawing cycling compared with the static mechanical behavior. In addition, a higher strain rate can induce a higher dynamic strength and energy absorption. f 2021 10.00010 November 1212 November 1212 November  
of rock are complicated. The complicated mechanical responses may be related to the co-existence of the water and ice in the pores. The water has weakening effects [17]. The water content decreases as temperature decreases, and the ice content increases [18]. The increase in the content of the ice filling in the pores can induce an increase in the strength of rock to a certain extent [19]. In this case, the ice has strengthening effects. Water-ice phase transition approximately induces a 9% volume increase. When the frost heaving force induced by the volume expansion of the ice in pores exceeds the strength of the material, the micro-defects are generated and accumulated in rock [2]. In this case, the ice has weakening effects. Therefore, the complicated mechanical responses of the rock may depend on whether the ice-strengthening effects prevailed over the water-weakening effects and ice-weakening effects or not. In practice, the rock is subjected to not only the freezing action but also the freeze-thaw cycling action. The relationship between the mechanical behavior of rock and cycling number under repeated freezing and thawing conditions has been also extensively studied. A series of physical and mechanical behavior tests have been conducted on the rock specimens after freeze-thaw cycling treatments [20; 21; 22]. Research shows P-wave velocity and mechanical strength show a decreasing trend with the increase in the cycling number [23; 24; 25]. In dynamic mechanics behavior tests, the dynamic energy absorption decreases as the freeze-thawing cycles increase [26; 27]. Based on microscopic observation, the weakening of rock is related to the increase in micro defects and the propagation of original micro defects during freeze-thaw cycling [28; 29; 30]. Under the repeated freezing-thawing conditions, the volume expansion, due to the water-ice phase change, may induce a frost heave force in the freezing phase. When the frost heave force exceeds the strength of the material, the micro-defects are generated. In addition, the inconsistent contraction and expansion between mineral grains during freezing and thawing may also induce the generation of stress, which further may induce sub-critical crack growth or fatigue cracking, and cause the material properties to deteriorate [31; 32; 33; 34]. Previous studies pay more attention to the effects of freezing temperature under the freezing condition and the effects of cycling number under the freeze-thaw cycling condition.