Innovative tensile strength comparison of spherical and disc specimens

Abstract Accuracy of tensile strength is crucial for guiding the stable construction of rock engineering. In this study, a spherical specimen was used for testing tensile strength, and its results were compared with Brazilian split method. A numerical analysis of tensile strength was performed for t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Weige Han, Zhengguo Zhu, Hao Zhou, Longzhou Che, Haorui Peng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09376-2
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849333462209658880
author Weige Han
Zhengguo Zhu
Hao Zhou
Longzhou Che
Haorui Peng
author_facet Weige Han
Zhengguo Zhu
Hao Zhou
Longzhou Che
Haorui Peng
author_sort Weige Han
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Accuracy of tensile strength is crucial for guiding the stable construction of rock engineering. In this study, a spherical specimen was used for testing tensile strength, and its results were compared with Brazilian split method. A numerical analysis of tensile strength was performed for two kinds of specimens using cohesive zone model. The fracture process and acoustic emission (AE) distribution characteristics of spherical and Brazilian disc specimens were analysed to determine similarities and differences between them. During the axial compression, the stress distribution in Brazilian disc specimen was relatively concentrated, which indirectly limited the range of potential fracture surface. The tensile AE events were concentrated in the middle of the specimen. Therefore, the obtained tensile strength tends to be the strength parameter of a certain section. However, the stress concentration zone in a spherical specimen was more widely distributed, showing three-dimensional characteristics, which did not pre-define the potential fracture surface and increased the randomness of rock rupture. Low energy AE events were distributed discretely in three-dimensional space, and high energy AE events constituted a significant fracture surface, which was the weakest rupture surface of the spherical specimen. The results of the spherical specimen had a smaller standard deviation and larger tensile-shear ratio, and the tensile strength obtained is lower than that of the Brazilian disc specimen. Therefore, the tensile strength obtained by a spherical specimen can better reflect the tensile fracture characteristics under three-dimensional state. The result of this study provides a new idea for the tensile strength testing method.
format Article
id doaj-art-db78c3cb214546a89f4c443ef6996b8a
institution Kabale University
issn 2045-2322
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Scientific Reports
spelling doaj-art-db78c3cb214546a89f4c443ef6996b8a2025-08-20T03:45:51ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-09376-2Innovative tensile strength comparison of spherical and disc specimensWeige Han0Zhengguo Zhu1Hao Zhou2Longzhou Che3Haorui Peng4Key Laboratory of Roads and Railway Engineering Safety Control (Shijiazhuang Tiedao University), Ministry of EducationKey Laboratory of Roads and Railway Engineering Safety Control (Shijiazhuang Tiedao University), Ministry of EducationKey Laboratory of Roads and Railway Engineering Safety Control (Shijiazhuang Tiedao University), Ministry of EducationKey Laboratory of Roads and Railway Engineering Safety Control (Shijiazhuang Tiedao University), Ministry of EducationKey Laboratory of Roads and Railway Engineering Safety Control (Shijiazhuang Tiedao University), Ministry of EducationAbstract Accuracy of tensile strength is crucial for guiding the stable construction of rock engineering. In this study, a spherical specimen was used for testing tensile strength, and its results were compared with Brazilian split method. A numerical analysis of tensile strength was performed for two kinds of specimens using cohesive zone model. The fracture process and acoustic emission (AE) distribution characteristics of spherical and Brazilian disc specimens were analysed to determine similarities and differences between them. During the axial compression, the stress distribution in Brazilian disc specimen was relatively concentrated, which indirectly limited the range of potential fracture surface. The tensile AE events were concentrated in the middle of the specimen. Therefore, the obtained tensile strength tends to be the strength parameter of a certain section. However, the stress concentration zone in a spherical specimen was more widely distributed, showing three-dimensional characteristics, which did not pre-define the potential fracture surface and increased the randomness of rock rupture. Low energy AE events were distributed discretely in three-dimensional space, and high energy AE events constituted a significant fracture surface, which was the weakest rupture surface of the spherical specimen. The results of the spherical specimen had a smaller standard deviation and larger tensile-shear ratio, and the tensile strength obtained is lower than that of the Brazilian disc specimen. Therefore, the tensile strength obtained by a spherical specimen can better reflect the tensile fracture characteristics under three-dimensional state. The result of this study provides a new idea for the tensile strength testing method.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09376-2Spherical specimenBrazilian discTensile strengthPotential fracture surfaceThree-dimensional effect
spellingShingle Weige Han
Zhengguo Zhu
Hao Zhou
Longzhou Che
Haorui Peng
Innovative tensile strength comparison of spherical and disc specimens
Scientific Reports
Spherical specimen
Brazilian disc
Tensile strength
Potential fracture surface
Three-dimensional effect
title Innovative tensile strength comparison of spherical and disc specimens
title_full Innovative tensile strength comparison of spherical and disc specimens
title_fullStr Innovative tensile strength comparison of spherical and disc specimens
title_full_unstemmed Innovative tensile strength comparison of spherical and disc specimens
title_short Innovative tensile strength comparison of spherical and disc specimens
title_sort innovative tensile strength comparison of spherical and disc specimens
topic Spherical specimen
Brazilian disc
Tensile strength
Potential fracture surface
Three-dimensional effect
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09376-2
work_keys_str_mv AT weigehan innovativetensilestrengthcomparisonofsphericalanddiscspecimens
AT zhengguozhu innovativetensilestrengthcomparisonofsphericalanddiscspecimens
AT haozhou innovativetensilestrengthcomparisonofsphericalanddiscspecimens
AT longzhouche innovativetensilestrengthcomparisonofsphericalanddiscspecimens
AT haoruipeng innovativetensilestrengthcomparisonofsphericalanddiscspecimens