A sound knowledge of mechanical properties of rocks at high temperatures and pressures is essential for modelling volcanological problems such as fracture of lava flows and dike emplacement. In particular, fracture toughness is a scale invariant material property of a rock that describes its resistance to tensile failure. A new fracture mechanics apparatus has been constructed enabling fracture...

In this paper, edge crack problems under mechanical loads have been analysed using extended finite element method (XFEM) as it has proved to be a competent method for handling problems with discontinuities. The XFEM provides a versatile technique to model discontinuities in the solution domain without re-meshing or conformal mesh. The stress intensity factors (SIF) have been calculated by domai...

in this work, the mechanism for fracture of brittle substances such as rocks under a uniform normal tension is considered. the oriented straight micro-cracks are mostly created in all the polycrystalline materials resulting from the stress concentrations. the present work focuses on the interactions of the pre-existing micro-cracks, which can grow and propagate within a rock-like specimen. the ...

The fracture mechanics parameters are used in different applications to formulae the classic criteria of failure as well as in computational models to analyze the concrete structures and other brittle materials. The parameters are determined using the specimens with notches. The study for assessing the influence of the notch curvature in specimen on fracture mechanics parameters, e.g. critical ...

A fracture mechanics approach was employed to develop a model that can predict the penetration force during quasi-static needle insertion in soft tissue. The model captures a mechanical process where the sharp needle produces a crack that is opened to accommodate the shaft of the needle. This process involves the interchange of energy between four distinct phenomena: the work done by the needle...