Evaluation and Interpretation of the Fracture Toughness of Rocks

Fracture toughness of rock materials, which generally violate the fundamental assumptions of LEFM, often depends on the specimen size and test method employed. Hence, a standardized procedure for testing and data interpretation for determining fracture toughness of rock materials is required. Special attention has been given by the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) to the difficulties in obtaining true fracture mechanics parameters for the wide variety of rock materials. (omitted)