scholarly journals Mesoscale modeling of fracture in cement and asphalt concrete

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 439-450
Author(s):  
Haider Al-Jelawy ◽  
Ayad Al-Rumaithi ◽  
Aqeel Fadhil ◽  
Alaa Naji

In this paper, mesoscale modeling is performed to simulate and understand fracture behavior of two concrete composites: cement and asphalt concrete using disk-shaped compact tension (DCT) tests. Mesoscale models are used as alternative to macroscale models to obtain better realistic behavior of composite and heterogeneous materials such as cement and asphalt concrete. In mesoscale models, aggregate and matrix are represented as distinct materials and each material has its characteristic properties. Disk-shaped compact tension test is used to obtain tensile strength and fracture energy of materials. This test can be used as a better alternative to other tests such as three points bending tests because it is more convenient for both field and laboratory specimens in addition to its accurate results. Comparing the numerical results of the mesoscale models of cement and asphalt concrete specimens with experimental data shows that these models can predict the behavior of these composite materials very well as seen in the curves of load-crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD). Also, the mesoscale modeling highlights the variability of crack direction where it is dependent on the random distribution of aggregate.

2014 ◽  
Vol 592-594 ◽  
pp. 1160-1164 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Sundaresan ◽  
B. Nageswara Rao

The life expectancy or failure of aerospace pressure vessels is evaluated by the critical stress intensity determined by the crack growth resistance curve of a material. Load versus crack mouth opening displacement data is generated from the Compact Tension specimens made from the weld joints of maraging steel rocket motor segments. The steps involved to generate critical stress intensity factor is explained. A power law is adopted to model the crack extension in terms of stress intensity factor and determine the maximum failure load of weld specimens. Maximum failure loads of CT specimens obtained by test and analysis are presented.


Author(s):  
M. Reytier ◽  
S. Chapuliot ◽  
M. Ne´de´lec

In order to study the effects of a sudden cooling in a thick hot structure, such as the vessel of a pressurised water reactor, a specially-adapted compact tension specimen has been developed. It consists of a CT50 (2T-CT specimen) with holes through the specimen to cool the crack tip locally by liquid nitrogen. Therefore, this new test allows to study in details different loading-temperature histories near the brittle/ductile transition zone which may put the classical crack intiation criteria in the wrong. First, this article describes in details two tests for which a cleavage rupture has been obtained during the thermal shock on this 16MND5 steel. Either the Crack Mouth Opening Displacement was maintained during the test or the applied load. Then, numerical calculations have been realised in order to estimate the local mechanical fields at the crack tip and to evaluate the global fracture mechanics parameters. Thanks to these tests and these thermal and mechanical simulations, a work is done on rupture criteria under thermal shocks by using either the “Master Curve” approach or the Beremin model.


2018 ◽  
Vol 774 ◽  
pp. 601-606
Author(s):  
Jiří Klon ◽  
Jakub Sobek

This contribution discusses numerical models of three different fracture tests – three-point bending (3PB), modified compact tension (modCT) and wedge-splitting test (WST). The aim is to compare loading diagrams (loading force vs. crack mouth opening displacement) obtained from these numerical models, created with real material properties. These properties were acquired from experimental data measurement. To assemble the numerical models, ATENA Science FEM software was used. In this software, damaging of the structure/specimen occurred by cracks can be modelled, their initiation and progressive propagation can be seen throughout the loading process.


Author(s):  
Andina Sprince ◽  
Leonids Pakrastinsh ◽  
Bruno Baskers ◽  
Liga Gaile

<p class="R-AbstractKeywords"><span lang="EN-US">The cracking properties in cement-based composites widely influences mechanical behavior of construction structures. The challenge of present investigation is to evaluate the crack propagation near the crack tip. During experiments the tension strength and crack mouth opening displacement of several types of concrete compositions was determined. For each composition the Compact Tension (CT) specimens were prepared with dimensions 150x150x12mm. Specimens were subjected to a tensile load. Deformations and crack mouth opening displacement were measured with extensometers. Cracks initiation and propagation were analyzed using a digital image analysis technique. The formation and propagation of the tensile cracks was traced on the surface of the specimens using a high resolution digital camera with 60 mm focal length. Images were captured during testing with a time interval of one second. The obtained experimental curve shows the stages of crack development.</span></p>


Author(s):  
Guoqing Jing ◽  
Du yunchang ◽  
Ruilin You ◽  
Mohammad Siahkouhi

Rubber concrete (RC) has been confirmed to be suitable for concrete sleeper production. This paper studies the cracking behaviour of conventional and rubber-reinforced concrete sleepers based on the results of an experimental program. The cracking behaviour in the pure bending zone was analysed up to a load of 140 kN. The crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) was accordingly measured using a digital image correlation (DIC) method. The DIC results show that the rubber prestressed concrete sleeper (RPCS) has a resistance against crack initiation that is 20% greater than that of the conventional prestressed concrete sleeper (CPCS) under the same loading condition; however, due to the higher crack growth rate of the RPCS, the first crack detected by the operator forms at 60 kN, which corresponds to a strength approximately 9% lower compared with the 65 kN load at which the first crack is detected in the CPCS. Before the first crack (60 kN), the RPCS has a deflection 35% lower than that of the CPCS, but after cracking, at loads of 80 kN, 100 kN and 140 kN, the RPCS has a deflection 15%, 4% and 24% higher than that of the CPCS, respectively.


Author(s):  
Gustavo H. B. Donato ◽  
Claudio Ruggieri

This work presents an exploratory development of J and CTOD estimation procedures for welded fracture specimens under bending based upon plastic eta factors and plastic rotation factors. The techniques considered include: i) estimating J and CTOD from plastic work and ii) estimating CTOD from the plastic rotational factor. The primary objective is to gain additional understanding on the effect of weld strength mismatch on estimation techniques to determine J and CTOD fracture parameters for a wide range of a/W-ratios and mismatch levels. Very detailed non-linear finite element analyses for plane-strain models of SE(B) fracture specimens with center cracked, square groove welds provide the evolution of load with increased load-line displacement and crack mouth opening displacement which are required for the estimation procedure. The results show that levels of weld strength mismatch within the range ±20% mismatch do not affect significantly J and CTOD estimation expressions applicable to homogeneous materials, particularly for deeply cracked fracture specimens. The present analyses, when taken together with previous studies, provide a fairly extensive body of results which serve to determine parameters J and CTOD for different materials using bend specimens with varying geometries and mismatch levels.


Author(s):  
J. Saliba ◽  
A. Loukili ◽  
J.P. Regoin ◽  
D. Grégoire ◽  
L. Verdon ◽  
...  

The fracture process zone (FPZ) was investigated on unnotched and notched beams with different notch depths. Three point bending tests were realized on plain concrete under crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) control. Crack growth was monitored by applying the acoustic emission (AE) technique. In order to improve our understanding of the FPZ, the width and length of the FPZ were followed based on the AE source locations maps and several AE parameters were studied during the entire loading process. The bvalue analysis, defined as the log-linear slope of the frequency-magnitude distribution of acoustic emissions, was also carried out to describe quantitatively the influence of the relative notch depth on the fracture process. The results show that the number of AE hits increased with the decrease of the relative notch depth and an important AE energy dissipation was observed at the crack initiation in unnotched beams. In addition, the relative notch depth influenced the AE characteristics, the process of crack propagation, and the brittleness of concrete.


Materials ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yao Ding ◽  
Yu-Lei Bai

Adding short steel fibers into slag-based geopolymer mortar and concrete is an effective method to enhance their mechanical properties. The fracture properties of steel fiber-reinforced slag-based geopolymer concrete/mortar (SGC/SGM) and unreinforced control samples were compared through three-point bending (TPB) tests. The influences of steel fiber volume contents (1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0%) on the fracture properties of SGC and SGM were studied. Load-midspan deflection (P-δ) curves and load-crack mouth opening displacement (P-CMOD) curves of the tested beams were recorded. The compressive and splitting tensile strengths were also tested. The fracture energy, flexural strength parameters, and fracture toughness of steel fiber-reinforced SGC and SGM were calculated and analyzed. The softening curves of steel fiber-reinforced SGC and SGM were determined using inverse analysis. The experimental results show that the splitting tensile strength, fracture energy, and fracture toughness are significantly enhanced with fiber incorporation. A strong correlation between the equivalent and residual flexural strengths is also observed. In addition, the trilinear strain-softening curves obtained by inverse analysis predict well of the load-displacement curves recorded from TPB tests.


Author(s):  
Claudio Ruggieri ◽  
Rodolfo F. de Souza

This work addresses the development of wide range compliance solutions for tensile-loaded and bend specimens based on CMOD. The study covers selected standard and non-standard fracture test specimens, including the compact tension C(T) configuration, the single edge notch tension SE(T) specimen with fixed-grip loading (clamped ends) and the single edge notch bend SE(B) geometry with varying specimen spam over width ratio and loaded under 3-point and 4-point flexural configuration. Very detailed elastic finite element analysis in 2-D setting are conducted on fracture models with varying crack sizes to generate the evolution of load with displacement for those configurations from which the dependence of specimen compliance on crack length, specimen geometry and loading mode is determined. The extensive numerical analyses conducted here provide a larger set of solutions upon which more accurate experimental evaluations of crack size changes in fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth testing can be made.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document