Numerical and Experimental Investigations of Mixed Mode Fracture in Granite Using Four-Point-Bend Specimen

摘要

Asymmetric four-point-bend (FPB) specimen is an appropriate test configuration for investigating mixed mode fracture behaviour in engineering materials like ceramics, rocks, polymers and metals. In this paper, a combined numerical, experimental and theoretical study of mixed mode I/II fracture behaviour using this specimen is presented. For calculating the stress intensity factors, K_I and K_(II), the specimen is analyzed using finite element software, ANSYS. Then mixed mode fracture is investigated experimentally for a type of granite by means of the FPB specimen for different combinations of mode I and mode II. The obtained test data are then compared with some well known two fracture theories. It is shown that the test data are in agreement with the theoretical predictions of well known fracture criteria the maximum tangential stress theory and the maximum energy release rate theory.