Abstract
This paper presents fundamentals of fracture mechanics of anisotropic materials. Fracture toughness of anisotropic materials, e.g. structural timber, depends a. o. on state of stress, environment, temperature and changes due to ageing, therefore in such materials cracking process runs in various ways. Timber is characterized by eighteen coefficients which determine its fracture toughness in contrast to metals for which this number is as low as three. In this part of considerations a way of conducting the tests of specimens subjected to cracking as well results of the tests of natural and modified timber, are presented.