Experimental and Numerical Study on the Failure Characteristics of Brittle Solids with a Circular Hole and Internal Cracks

A stress analysis of a circular hole is one of the classical problems in mechanics. Internal cracks are inherent properties of materials, and they are mostly three-dimensional in form. However, studies on hole problems with three-dimensional internal cracks are still lacking. In this paper, internal cracks were generated in brittle materials containing circular holes based on 3D internal laser-engraved crack technology. Then, uniaxial compression tests were performed. The experimental results were compared with the existing literature, and theoretical and numerical simulation studies were carried out. The results show that: (1) The main crack shapes are the primary cracks and remote cracks. (2) The dynamic fracture characteristics existed in the formation of primary cracks and the surface of remote cracks. The tips of primary cracks were arc-shaped, and the surfaces of the remote cracks were curved. Remote cracks were tangential to the orifice where type III spear-like characteristics appeared. (3) The stress birefringence technology can be combined with 3D internal laser-engraved crack technology for internal crack stress information monitoring, the moire around the orifice was “flamboyant”, and the moire at the tip of the prefabricated crack was “petallike”. (4) The existence of internal cracks reduced the cracking and breaking load of the specimen, and compared with the intact orifice specimen, the upper primary crack, the lower primary crack, the remote crack and the failure load were reduced by 41.2%, 31.7%, 15.9%, and 32.3%, respectively. (5) The results of qualitative stress analysis of the orifice specimen were consistent with the initiation law of primary cracks and remote cracks. The K distribution based on M integral and the numerical simulation of crack propagation process based on the maximum tensile stress criterion were consistent with the law of primary crack growth. Compared with the current mainstream method of transparent rock research, 3D internal laser-engraved crack technology has certain advantages in terms of brittleness, crack authenticity, stress field visualization, and fracture characteristics, and the result will provide experimental and theoretical references for research on three-dimensional problems and internal cracks in fracture mechanics.