Title:
Assessment of Toughness of Concrete Subject to Elevated
Temperatures from Complete Load-Displacement Curve—
Part I: General Introduction
Author(s):
Binsheng Zhang, Nenad Bicanic, Christopher J. Pearce, and Gojko Balabanic
Publication:
Materials Journal
Volume:
97
Issue:
5
Appears on pages(s):
550-555
Keywords:
load; temperature; toughness
DOI:
10.14359/9287
Date:
9/1/2000
Abstract:
The fracture and toughness of concrete is significantly influenced by heating scenarios, including heating temperature and exposure time; however, information on the quantitative assessment of the concrete toughness is very limited. In this paper, six energy-based and deformation-based toughness indexes were summarized and compared for assessing the concrete toughness. A two-portion complete load-displacement relationship containing load, characteristic displacements, and geometric coefficients was also proposed, and the physical meanings of these parameters were illustrated. Meanwhile, the effect of self-weight of the beam specimen under three-point bending on the concrete toughness was considered. In general, the energy-based toughness indexes were more appropriate than the deformation-based indexes, and toughness indexes covering the whole failure process were more appropriate and applicable than those only covering the ascending branch. In Part II of this paper, the relationships of these parameters with heating temperature, exposure time, and even curing age will be determined based on the three-point bending tests on preheated concrete beams. Thus, the effects of these influencing factors on the concrete toughness can be quantitatively assessed by using the six proposed toughness indexes.