HIGH-TEMPERATURE BRAZILIAN TEST FOR TENSILE-STRENGTH OF METAMORPHIC LIMESTONE

This technical note presents a low-cost and fast, high-temperature ten sile strength test of rocks. A series of splitting tensile strength te sts, the so-called Brazilian test, were conducted on metamorphic limes tone specimens at high temperature using a special triaxial cell assem bly that can sustain a maximum temperature of 315 degrees C. Results o f these Brazilian tests at various temperatures (30, 100, 200, and 300 degrees C) are presented and discussed. The results show that the ten sile strength of the rock decreases as the temperature of the rock inc reases. The reduction in tensile strength is found to be greater when the tests are actually conducted at high temperature rather than at ro om temperature using thermally treated specimens.