: An analytical solution for the stress concentrations within a finite transversely isotropic cylinder under the axial Point Load Strength Test (PLST) is obtained. The method of solution uses stress function approach. Two kinds of solutions corresponding to real and complex characteristic roots of the governing equations of the stress functions are derived. The solution by Wei et al. (1999) for isotropic cylinders under the axial PLST is recovered as a special case by considering the limit. Numerical results show that anisotropy of the cylinder changes the magnitude of the stress distribution along the axis of loading, but has little influence on its pattern of the stress distribution. More specifically, the local tensile stress concentrations are always induced near the two point loads, and the maximum tensile stress changes with the anisotropy in Young ’s modulus, in the Poisson ’s ratio and in the shear modulus.
Rock cores drilled from deep ground are usually used as specimens for the Point Load Strength Test (PLST), which is a popular indirect tensile strength test for rock classification. Many experimental studies and theoretical analyses have been done for the PLST, but except for the analyses for spherically isotropic spheres under the diametral PLST by Chau & Wei (1999) and Wei & Chau (1998), all of the previous theoretical studies are only restricted to considering rocks as isotropic solids. However, rock is naturally a kind of anisotropic solid. Although a lot of experimental studies have been done in order to investigate the effect of rock anisotropy on the PLST, there is no theoretical analysis for anisotropic rock cores under the axial PLST.
