In this paper, in order to explain the splitting of cylindrical rock specimen under uniaxial loading, cracks in cylindrical rock specimen are divided into two kinds, the longitudinal crack and the slanting crack. Mechanical behavior of the rock is described by elastic-brittle-plastic model and splitting is assumed to suddenly occur when the uniaxial compressive strength is reached. Expression of the stresses induced by the longitudinal crack in direction perpendicular to the major axis of the crack is deduced by using the Maxwell model. Results show that the induced stress is tensile and can be greater than the tensile strength even before the uniaxial compressive strength is reached. By using the Inglis's formula and simplifying the cracks as slender ellipse, the above conclusions that drawn by using the Maxwell model are confirmed. Compared to shearing fracture, energy consumption of splitting seems to be less, and splitting is most likely to occur when the uniaxial loading is great and quick. Besides, explaining the rock core disking occurred under the fast axial unloading by using the Maxwell model may be helpful for understanding that rock core disking is fundamentally a tensile failure phenomenon.
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