Fracture of brittle and quasi-brittle materials in compression: A review of the current state of knowledge and a different approach

There are major differences in the way quasi-brittle materials crack when subjected to uniaxial compression compared to uniaxial tension. In uniaxial tension, typically a single crack perpendicular to the tension propagates to cause specimen failure, whereas in uniaxial compression, multiple cracks develop parallel to the compressive stress before coalescence of such cracks leads to failure. Different approaches have been used to study fracture of brittle and quasi-brittle materials in compression. We review these and assess the limitations of each approach. We then propose a different approach and describe the methodology we implement to examine the merits of this approach. Some preliminary results are presented which support the potential for this new direction to provide novel insights into understanding the cause of fracture in uniaxial compression and what drives crack extension in such a macroscopic stress state.