Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics usually only considers the singular stresses when describing the conditions under which fracture would occur in a brittle material. However, it is becoming more widely recognised that non-singular stresses can become significant depending on the geometry and configuration of the specimen. This study investigates the impact of non-singular stresses on the stress intensity of low to medium porosity brittle materials. To address this, discrete finite element models of Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) samples were created and the full near-tip stress field in mode I loading was numerically evaluated. A parametric study was conducted, examining the influence of overall specimen size, material porosity and crack tip location relative to the nearest void. Results indicate a prominent size effect on the stress intensity at the crack tip of porous materials, with smaller specimen exhibiting tougher behaviour than their respective larger counterparts. This size effect, which is amplified with increasing porosity, is closely correlated with the variation of non-singular stresses, both parallel and normal to the crack plane. A model to predict the behaviour of porous specimen for different sizes is suggested based on the findings.

A prominent size effect has previously been reported for the fracture behaviour of brittle porous materials, with smaller specimens behaving quite differently to their larger counterparts. In such materials, the size of the K-dominant zone has been numerically found to be greatly affected by the presence of voids in the near-tip area, thus putting the assumption of a single fracture parameter under question. In order to address this, in this study mode I tests are conducted on porous double cantilever beam specimens, while the stress distribution in the near-tip area is being observed by means of photoelasticity. Results validate the predicted size effect and suggest that the voids can indeed alter the size and shape of the stress pattern in the specimens. A parametric study is then conducted to investigate the influence of void shape variations that can be caused by manufacturing inaccuracies on the stress concentration at the crack tip. It is found that although the stress intensity at the crack tip can be greatly affected by such factors, the size of the K-dominant zone remains unaffected.