On the mode I fracture analysis of cracked Brazilian disc using a digital image correlation method

Mode I of fracture of centrally cracked Brazilian disc was investigated experimentally using a digital image correlation (DIC) method. Experiments were performed on PMMA polymers subjected to diametric-compression load. The displacement fields were determined by a correlation between the reference and the deformed images captured before and during loading. The stress intensity factors were calculated by displacement fields using William׳s equation and the least square algorithm. The parameters involved in the accuracy of SIF calculation such as number of terms in William׳s equation and the region of analysis around the crack were discussed. The DIC results were compared with the numerical results available in literature and a very good agreement between them was observed. By extending the tests up to the critical state, mode I fracture toughness was determined by analyzing the image of specimen captured at the moment before fracture. The results showed that the digital image correlation was a reliable technique for the calculation of the fracture toughness of brittle materials.