Shaping of rock specimens for testing of uniaxial tensile strength by high speed abrasive water jet: First experience

Standard shapes of specimens are used for testing of uniaxial tensile strength of metals. However, direct determination of uniaxial tensile strength of rocks and rock-like materials was often unfeasible because required shapes of specimens are impossible to create by conventional shaping methods. On the other hand high speed abrasive water jets can create various 2D as well as 3D shapes of almost all known technical materials. The first experience obtained in shaping of rock specimens for testing of uniaxial tensile strength using turning by high speed abrasive water jet is discussed in this paper. Comparison of uniaxial tensile strength obtained on rock specimens shaped by abrasive water jet and traditional splitting tensile strength as well as uniaxial tensile strength obtained on rock specimens shaped by conventional method is presented.