Test devices for strength measurements of bars under contact loading

Bars loaded by opposite concentrated forces via rollers are appropriate spe cimens for the determination of strength under contact loading. Measured mu ltiaxial strength values are located in the second quadrant (sigma (1) > 0, sigma (2) < 0) of the biaxial failure diagram. In this paper stress soluti ons for the proposed strength specimens are provided. As practical applicat ions of the proposed specimens, the strengths for two aluminas, an AIN, and a HPSN ceramic, were determined and compared with bending strength results .