Experiments on fracture trajectories in ceramic samples with voids

Experimental validation is provided for a linear elastic model describing the trajectory of a crack which propagates under Mode-I conditions in a ceramic sample, as influenced by non-interacting voids. A wide range of experiments were performed by quasi-static loading standard notched unglazed ceramic samples under pure Mode-I loading conditions. It is found that the predicted crack trajectories are in close agreement with the experimental results, so that the model is fully validated and therefore permits correct simulations of crack paths in brittle materials containing small voids. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.