Title:
High-Strength Concrete in Uniaxial Tension
Author(s):
Qingbin Li and Farhad Ansari
Publication:
Materials Journal
Volume:
97
Issue:
1
Appears on pages(s):
49-57
Keywords:
compressive strength; concretes; cracking (fracturing); deflection; high-strength concretes; mechanical properties; tensile strength; tension; tension tests.
DOI:
10.14359/805
Date:
1/1/2000
Abstract:
The behavior of high-strength concrete (HSC) subjected to uniaxial tension was investigated in this paper. The complete tensile stress-deformation response of HSC was acquired through an extensive experimental program. The experimental program comprised of testing concrete with compressive strengths equal to 6, 12, and 15 ksi (41, 83, and 103 MPa). An analytical expression was proposed for the relationship between the axial stress and crack width in HSC. This relationship was developed for the determination of fracture parameters such as fracture energy Gf and the characteristic length Lch for the three compressive strengths. The higher compressive strength concretes exhibited larger fracture energies and lower characteristic lengths. A relationship between the tensile and compressive strengths of HSC was established. Although HSCs exhibit larger tensile strengths, there is a decrease in the ratio of tensile-to-compressive strength at higher compressive strengths. Accordingly, the uniaxial tensile strength of HSC can be predicted by the expression f ¢t = 6.1÷ f ¢ c,where f ¢tand f ¢care the tensile and compressive strengths, respectively. In comparison with the expression developed for normal strength concrete (NSC) ( f ¢t = 6.5÷f ¢c ), this expression predicts lower tensile strengths at the higher strength levels.