Microstructural origins of crushing strength for inherently anisotropic brittle materials

We study the crushing strength of brittle materials whose internal structure (e.g., mineral particles or grains) presents a layered arrangement reminiscent of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Taking a discrete-element approach, we probe the failure strength of circular-shaped samples intended to reproduce specific mineral configurations. To do so, assemblies of cells, products of a modified Voronoi tessellation, are joined in...