Effect of layer orientation on the failure of layered sandstone under Brazilian test conditions

The experimental research in this paper focuses at macro-scale on the effect of the layer orientation on failure strength and fractures induced by the Brazilian tensile test for one particular sandstone—sandstone from Modave in the South of Belgium. The variation in the strength, the applied energy and the failure pattern are examined as a function of the inclination angle between the layer plane and the loading direction. For each sample, the length of fractures parallel to the layers, as well as corresponding to other directions, is measured. For the layered sandstone in this study, the transition angle range is determined whereby the relative importance of both types of fractures switches.