Abstract: To investigate the reinforcement effects of specimens containing a single fissure, a digital image correlation (DIC) method and a discrete element method (DEM) which can be written in house are employed to compare the results of unreinforced and reinforced specimens. The crack initiation and propagation in two types of specimens (unreinforced and reinforced specimens) are quantitatively analyzed at the mesoscopic level. The displacement fields, strain fields and crack open displacements (COD) obtained by DIC and the crack number, distribution and propagation orientation obtained by DEM are compared. The results show that the DIC method can be used to conduct non-contact nondestructive measurements of rock mass precisely and monitor the internal hidden process like anchorage behavior. The reinforcement effects of specimens are illustrated in quantity since the concentration of strain nucleation is acquired at the cross of rock bolt and pre-fissure. The reinforcement can change the type of cracks and the orientation of the main fracture.