Consolidated porous media samples and methods for their manufacture are described herein. An assembly has an outer tube having a first softening temperature and a sintered glass construct formed from plurality of beads of multiple sizes. The sintered glass construct defines pores and at least one fracture or channel. The assembly is formed by suspending at least one sheet or wire of dissolvable material in the outer tube, packing beads of different sizes around the sheet or wire, sintering the beads with the sheet or wire located therein at a temperature below the softening temperature of the tube, and dissolving the sheet or wire to generate a sintered construct defining at least one fracture or channel.