Determination of Elastic Constants in Brazilian Tests Using Digital Image Correlation

Experimental splitting tension tests of cylindrical specimens made of the Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) are presented in the paper. Based on results from the digital image correlation system (DIC) and strain gauges, two methods of a determination of the tensile Young's modulus and the Poisson's ratio are discussed, including authors' method. In a new method developed by the authors, it is possible to obtain easy and conveniently both elastic constants simultaneously by fitting the theoretical curve into the displacement field obtained from the DIC system. The fitting curve which is derived based on elasticity theory, describes a distribution of the horizontal displacement along the diameter of the specimen perpendicular to a line of a loading force. Additionally, failure modes and failure mechanisms in the Brazilian splitting test are shown.