Fracture testing of rock by the wedge splitting test

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Abstract
Fundamental understanding of rock fracturing is essential to fragmentation: drilling, blasting, cutting or crushing. Like in concrete, fracture of rock is characterized by a steady degradation of its structure (Labuz, Shah & Dowding (1987)), and a region with extensive microcracking, called the fracture process zone (FPZ), exists in front of a stress free, visible crack. With increasing degradation of the material (widening of the FPZ) less stress is transferred along the FPZ until the material is completely separated. The material undergoes tensile softening. Depending upon the grain size of the rock, the specimen dimensions and the loading condition, the length of the FPZ can be substantial. Consequently, the FPZ must be considered in the determination of reliable fracture properties necessary for fracture mechanics analysis in rock engineering.

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