Compressive Fatigue Behaviour of High-Strength Concrete and Mortar: Experimental Investigations and Computational Modelling

A high-strength concrete and mortar subjected to compressive fatigue loading were comparatively investigated using experimental and computational techniques. The focus of the investigations was on the influence of the coarse aggregate in high-strength concrete. Accordingly, the fatigue behaviour was analysed experimentally using the macroscopic damage indicators strain, stiffness and acoustic emission hits. The results clearly show differences in the fatigue behaviour between the concrete and the mortar, especially at the lower stress level investigated. The basalt coarse aggregate here improves the fatigue behaviour of the concrete. Indication of a negative effect can be seen at the higher stress level. A finite element approach with a gradient-enhanced equivalent strain-based damage model combined with a fatigue model was used for the computational simulation of the fatigue behaviour. The damage model includes a differentiation between tension and compression. The fatigue model follows the assumption of the reduction in the material strength based on the accumulated gradient-enhanced equivalent strains. A random distribution of spherically shaped basalt aggregates following a given particle size distribution curve is used for the simulation of concrete. The comparison of the experimentally and computationally determined strain developments of the concrete and mortar shows very good agreement.