Abstract
The Brazilian test is extensively used to indirectly measure the tensile strength of rock. However, the Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) does not always align with the direct tensile strength (DTS), resulting in a lack of consensus regarding the applicability of Brazilian test across diverse rock types. To evaluate the applicability of Brazilian test loading with various platens, the different numerical tensile tests based on the discrete element procedure PFC2D were conducted. The simulation results indicate that the discrepancy between the BTS and DTS of rock is heavily influenced by the rock’s uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) to direct tensile strength (DTS) ratio. Specifically, the DTS/BTS ratio exhibits a strong negative correlation with the UCS/DTS. This negative correlation holds true across the usage of different loading platens in the Brazilian test. Moreover, the simulation results indicate that the process of crack initiation and propagation of specimens in Brazilian test is closely related to the relative relationship between the BTS and DTS. The UCS/DTS ratio of rock and the selection of the loading platen simultaneously affect the process of crack initiation and propagation. Specimens with a low UCS/DTS ratio tend to crack from the loading ends inward under concentrated end loading, such as flat platen and curved jaws. In this scenario, the BTS often underestimates the rock’s tensile strength. If the UCS/DTS ratio of a specimen is sufficiently high, cracking does not originate from the end, but rather from discrete microcracks in the internal tensile stress zone. These microcracks then propagate towards the loading end, leading to failure. Under these conditions, the BTS typically overestimates the tensile strength. Utilizing platforms with a central angle of 20°can mitigate stress concentration at the loading end in Brazilian tests, prompting internal crack initiation. However, the resulting BTS is also more likely to overestimate the tensile strength. Therefore, selecting an appropriate loading platen based on the rock's UCS/DTS ratio is crucial to minimize the difference between the BTS and DTS. The proper range of UCS/DTS ratios of rock for the Brazilian test with flat platen, curved jaws and loading platforms are recommended as 10–15, 8–10 and 5–8, respectively.
Highlights
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The discrepancy between the direct tensile strength (DTS) and Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) of rock is closely related to its compression-tension ratio.
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The initiation and propagation of cracks during the Brazilian test are influenced by both the compression-tension ratio of rock and the chosen loading platen.
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The applicable range of compression-tension ratios for rock during Brazilian tests loading with different platens are proposed.
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Data availability
The data for this paper are available by contacting the corresponding author at jxhkzhang@163.com or the second author at 2018202100040@whu.edu.cn.
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Acknowledgements
The support provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.41941018), the Joint Foundation of Shaanxi Province (Grant No.2021JLM-48), the Key Research and Development Program of Hubei Province (Grant No.2021BCA154) and the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (Grant No.2021CFA081) is gratefully acknowledged.
Funding
National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41941018, Xiao-Ping Zhang, Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province, 2021JLM-48, Xiao-Ping Zhang, Key Research and Development Program of Hubei Province, No.2021BCA154, Xiao-Ping Zhang, the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province, No.2021CFA081, Xiao-Ping Zhang.
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Zhang, XP., Zhang, PY., Ji, PQ. et al. The Applicability of Brazilian Test Loading with Different Platens to Measure Tensile Strength of Rock: A Numerical Study. Rock Mech Rock Eng 57, 233–260 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-023-03566-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-023-03566-y