Comparative analysis of mechanisms of 3-D brittle crack growth in compression

Pre-existing 3-D defects are common and ubiquitous elements of microstructures in heterogeneous and brittle materials like rocks. It is well believed that brittle fractures are due to the initiation and subsequent growth of cracks from pre-existing defects. Therefore, a thorough knowledge of 3-D crack growth under different loading conditions (mainly in the compressive stress field) is necessary to understand the macroscopic constitutive...