<p>One of the main challenges for mining and civil engineers in designing and assessing rock and concrete structures is accurately determining the tensile strength of layered brittle materials. Measuring the direct tensile strength in rocks is crucial for effectively forecasting where cracks will start and how quickly they will propagate. This study introduces an innovative direct tensile testing method aimed at evaluating the tensile strength of specimens made of layered brittle materials, offering a more realistic alternative to conventional Brazilian and bending tensile tests. Laboratory-created quasi-brittle specimens are tested using a universal apparatus equipped with a steel frame and a compressive-to-tensile load conversion device. The pre-holed specimens, constructed from layered quasi-brittle materials, are centrally positioned within the test setup. Tensile behavior and strength are monitored using two strategically placed strain gauges. The experimental apparatus quantitatively captures the failure mechanisms, including crack initiation and propagation, and tensile characteristics of the layered quasi-brittle specimens. A series of experimental tests are conducted, and the results are analyzed in comparison to established literature. The testing device undergoes meticulous calibration, and findings are corroborated through numerical modeling using the discrete element method. Three-dimensional numerical simulations are systematically compared to the experimental data, enabling a comprehensive study of the breakage processes in layered concrete specimens. The findings underscore the robustness and reliability of the proposed method for determining the tensile behavior and strength of layered rock specimens, contributing valuable insights to the field of materials characterization.</p>