Test Method Title
Standard Test Method for Splitting Tensile Strength of Intact Rock Core Specimens
Reference Number
ASTM D3967
Material
Rock
Test Property
Splitting tensile strength
Description of Test
This test determines the splitting tensile strength of rock by diametral line compression of a disk of rock. This test is a simpler and less expensive alternative to the direct tensile test method. In rock mechanics design, complicated stress fields are often encountered. These include combinations of compressive and tensile stress fields. Under these conditions, tensile strength should be obtained with the presence of compressive stresses (as is what occurs in this test) to be representative of the field conditions.
Number of Test Specimens
Enough samples to represent a valid average of the type of rock under consideration; however the standard recommends 10
Test Specimen Size
Circular disk with a thickness-to-diameter ratio between 0.2 and 0.75. The diameter shall be at least 10 times greater than the largest mineral grain constituent.
Keywords
Brazilian tensile strength, Compression testing, indirect tensile strength, loading tests, rock, splitting tensile strength, Tension Properties