Indirect tensile test of rock samples - splitting tensile test

The Commission on Rock Testing of the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Geotechnik e. V (German Geotechnical Society) is compiling suggestions for rock testing in laboratory and in-situ and for performing monitoring of rock masses and civil engineering structures. The revised version of recommendation No. 10 deals with the splitting tensile test (Brazilian Test) on rock samples and incorporates for the recent developments of testing machines and testing procedures since the first version from 1985. The requirements for the testing machines and specimens are given as well as the procedures to perform the test and to evaluate the data. Essential modifications regard the definition of standard testing layouts for splitting tensile tests on anisotropic rock samples. The splitting tensile strength of a rock sample is determined in an indirect tensile test. A cylindrical shaped specimen is loaded by linear distributed loads until failure. The tensile strength is determined on the basis of the elasticity theory.