“…Opening-mode fractures in layered materials have attracted significant attentions to engineers and geoscientists. They have been commonly observed in both natural and engineering materials and structures, such as sedimentary rocks Bai et al, 2000a,b;Tang et al, 2008), pavements (Timm et al, 2003;Yin et al, 2007a;Yin, 2010b), surface coatings (Shevchuk and Silberschmidt, 2005;Yin et al, 2007b), multi-layered structures and components (Agrawal and Raj, 1989;Hutchinson and Suo, 1992;Liang et al, 2003;Feng et al, 2008;Yin et al, 2008). With increased tensile stress, additional fractures form in the layer until the saturation spacing is achieved (Agrawal and Raj, 1989;Hutchinson and Suo, 1992).…”