FRACTURE MECHANISM IN CONCRETE: HOW MUCH DO WE KNOW?

EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT THE FAILURE OF CONCRETE TAKES PLACE THROUGH PROGRESSIVE INTERNAL CRACKING UNDER VARIOUS LOADING CONDITIONS. THE CRACKING STARTS AT THE INTERFACE BETWEEN COARSE AGGREGATE AND MORTAR UNDER LOADS MUCH LESS THAN THE ULTIMATE. THE STRAIN ENERGY OF A CONCRETE SPECIMEN UNDER LOAD IS TRANSFORMED TO SURFACE ENERGY BY THE CREATION AND PROPAGATION OF INTERNAL CRACKS. THIS CONCEPT IS APPLICABLE NOT ONLY TO THE USUAL STATIC COMPRESSIVE, TENSILE, ETC., LOADINGS, BUT ALSO TO REPEATED AND SUSTAINED LOADINGS. HOWEVER, THE NUMERICAL APPLICATION OF THE GRIFFITH HYPOTHESIS FOR CONCRETE IS NOT RELIABLE ENOUGH. CERTAIN STATISTICAL ASPECTS OF THE 'WEAKEST LINK' THEORY ARE CONSIDERED ALONG WITH THE UTILIZATION OF THIS CONCEPT, SUCH AS THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE EFFECT OF THE SPECIMEN SIZE ON THE MEASURED STRENGTH. THE STATISTICAL RESULTS ARE AGAIN ONLY QUALITATIVELY SUPPORTED BY EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS. /ASCE/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/07339399
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 95, No EM3, PROC PAPER 6604, PP 531-544, 3 FIG, 45 REF,
• Authors:
  • Popovics, S
• Publication Date: 1969-6

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Journal of Engineering Mechanics
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
  • ISSN: 0733-9399
  • EISSN: 1943-7889
  • Serial URL: http://ascelibrary.org/journal/jenmdt

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Coarse aggregates; Concrete; Cracking; Fracture mechanics; Internal forces; Loads; Mortar; Statistical analysis
• Uncontrolled Terms: Concrete cracking; Crack propagation; Loading
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Data and Information Technology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00209050
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 29 1994 12:00AM