Combined Mode Fracture Toughness Measurement by the Disk Test

Abstract

The disk test in which a circular specimen with an internal crack is subjected to diametral compression is used to investigate combined mode I and mode II fracture. The stress intensity factors in the disk test are calculated numerically by means of the boundary collocation procedure and the dislocation method. Special care was taken to analyze the effect of the compression anvils. This method has the advantage, of allowing successive measurement of mode I, mode II and the combined mode fracture toughness under the same conditions. Some kinds of graphite, plaster and marble are examined to obtain the fracture toughness values, KIC, KIIC and the combined mode fracture criterion.