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Estimating the direct tensile strength of rocks from indirect tests

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Abstract

Within the scope of this study, a series of experimental, numerical and statistical analyses were performed in order to find the coefficients that would allow the accurate determination of the tensile strength values of the rocks. In this context, direct and indirect tensile strength values of 9 different rock types including sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks were determined according to related standards and the suggested methods. Dumbbell-shaped specimens with a new geometric form were used in direct tensile tests. Brazilian disc tests having different t/D ratios (0.5, 0.75 and 1.0) and bending tests having 6 different sample sizes were used as indirect methods. In addition, numerical analyses were performed by using finite element method (FEM). According to the results of experimental and numerical analyses, new dumbbell-shaped specimen geometry which has continuously variable section has been proposed to determine the uniaxial tensile strength of the rocks. It has also been found that no indirect method actually represents the uniaxial tensile strength value. In order to estimate the direct tensile strength values of the rocks from indirect methods, new correction coefficients were found to be as 0.50 for Brazilian test and 0.33 for 3-point and 0.40 for 4-point bending tests and have been proposed. Moreover, new equations have been suggested in order to predict the tensile strength values of the rocks by using Brazilian and 3- and 4-point bending test results. When all the results are evaluated, it was found that the method that best predicts the direct tensile strength is 4-point bending test.

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Acknowledgements

We thank TUBITAK for their valuable contributions. The authors kindly acknowledge the efforts of Dr. Sandeep Panda towards his kind suggestions in improving the manuscript quality in terms of language polishing and structuring.

Funding

This research was supported by TUBITAK-1001 (Project No: 116M724), the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mining Engineering Department, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey

    Tamer Efe

  2. Special Provincial Administration , Burdur, Turkey

    Tamer Efe

  3. Mining Engineering Department, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey

    Servet Demirdag, Nazmi Sengun & Rasit Altindag

  4. Mechanical Engineering Department, Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey

    Kenan Tufekci

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  1. Tamer Efe
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Correspondence to Tamer Efe.

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Efe, T., Demirdag, S., Tufekci, K. et al. Estimating the direct tensile strength of rocks from indirect tests. Arab J Geosci 14, 1343 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-07539-9

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