Static and Dynamic Flexural Strength Anisotropy of Barre Granite

Granite exhibits anisotropy due to pre-existing microcracks under tectonic loadings; and the mechanical property anisotropy such as flexural/tensile strength is vital to many rock engineering applications. In this paper, Barre Granite is studied to understand the flexural strength anisotropy under a wide range of loading rates using newly proposed semi-circular bend tests. Static tests are conducted with a MTS hydraulic servo-control testing machine and dynamic tests with a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system. Six samples groups are fabricated with respect to the three principle directions of Barre granite. Pulse shaping technique is used in all dynamic SHPB tests to facilitate dynamic stress equilibrium. Finite element method is utilized to build up equations calculating the flexural tensile strength. For samples in the same orientation group, a loading rate dependence of the flexural tensile strength is observed. The measured flexural tensile strength is higher than the tensile strength measured using Brazilian disc method at given loading rate and this scenario has been rationalized using a non-local failure theory. The flexural tensile strength anisotropy features obvious dependence on the loading rates, the higher the loading rate, the less the anisotropy and this phenomenon may be explained considering the interaction of the preferentially oriented microcracks.