ISSN: 0149-6123
Page Count: 8

Microcracking and Definition of Failure of High- and Normal-Strength Concretes
Slate, FO
Professor of civil engineering, Cornell University, NY

Carrasquillo, RL
Assistant professor of civil engineering, University of Texas, TX

Abstract

The discontinuity point is defined as that point at which an unstable progressive crack growth mechanism develops in the concrete. A criterion for defining the discontinuity point in terms of microcracking and thus for determining the stress or strain corresponding to the discontinuity point is perhaps the most relevant strength criterion for engineering design because it can identify the onset of failure when a given concrete can no longer withstand a given state of stress without unstable disruption of the structure. This paper summarizes the work done at Cornell University on the development of a criterion for determining stress and strain at discontinuity for different-strength concretes based on the observed internal microcracking at different load stages and proposes ranges of stress and strain at discontinuity for those different concretes.

Keywords:
concretes, high strength concretes, Poisson ratio, volume change, failure, microcracking, discontinuity point, plain concrete

Paper ID: CCA10252J
DOI: 10.1520/CCA10252J
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