Evaluating a new method for direct testing of rock tensile strength

Abstract

Tensile stress is a ubiquitous concern in rock engineering, and it is still a challenging task to determine reasonably the tensile strength of rock materials. The main shortcomings of existing direct tensile testing methods include high requirements for test equipment, complex preparation processes, and high proneness of test failure. For the bonding or clamping method, it is not only difficult to ensure the alignment of tensile stress to the specimen axis, but also easy to break the sample in the bonding or clamping segment. To overcome the shortcomings of the existing methods, a novel direct testing method for tensile strength is examined in this study. This method allows determination of rock tensile strength via conventional rock mechanics testing systems and the test results exhibit good consistency, which has incomparable advantages compared with traditional testing methods.