ABSTRACT
In a drying soil, a crack initiates when the tensile stresses exceed the soil strength. Crack propagation is considered to be governed by the stress state in the crack front and subsequent dissipation of fracture energy, for which Fracture Mechanics Theory can be used. In this context determination of fracture parameters (tensile strength, fracture toughness) is essential in determining the cracking behaviour. Characterizing the soil for these two parameters require two different testing equipments. The tensile strength was determined using existing equipment (direct method) at the Soil Mechanics Laboratory of UPC whereas new equipment was designed for the fracture toughness determination.
