Abstract

Concrete materials like refractories are strong in compression and very weak in tension which means that their fracture toughness is low. Stainless steel fibres are commonly used in an endeavour to improve refractory fracture toughness.

Considerable emphasis has been placed on measuring fracture energies of refractory materials to reduce cracking and improve in-service life. Fracture energies offer much more flexibility as the linear elastic assumptions need not be applied to direct energy principles for crack initiation or propagation.