On the fracture mechanism of rock-like materials with interbedded hard-soft layers under Brazilian tests

The fracture of layered rocks subjected to tensile stress is involved in various subsurface energy-related activities. Many studies have numerically investigated the fracture evolution behaviour and Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) of layered rock in Brazilian tests. However, the fracture mechanism of layered rocks, especially those with interbedded hard-soft layers, is still not well understood. This is mainly due to the fact that the layered...