Aug 05, 2013

Laboratories and manufacturers of equipment used to test the flexural performance of concrete will be the primary users of a proposed new ASTM standard for supporting rollers. ASTM WK42757, Practice for Supporting Rollers Used in Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Beam Tests, is being developed by Subcommittee C09.42 on Fiber-Reinforced Concrete, part of ASTM International Committee C09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates.

ASTM WK42757 will describe the design of suitable supporting rollers to be used in beam tests conducted to assess the post-crack performance of a fiber reinforced concrete mixture. Included in the proposed practice will be drawings and dimensions of the rollers, the type of material the rollers are to be fabricated from and operation of the rollers during a test. The practice will also include a method for correcting test results to account for a constant, relatively low degree of friction that rollers exhibit during a test.

According to Stefan Bernard, managing director, TSE Pty Ltd., and a C09 member, once it has been approved, ASTM WK42757 will be used in conjunction with ASTM C1399/C1399M, Test Method for Obtaining Average Residual Strength of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete, as well as ASTM C1609/C1609M, Test Method for Flexural Performance of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (Using Beam with Third-Point Loading). Bernard notes that evidence from testing shows that friction in rollers can cause a bias in the modulus of rupture obtained at first crack, so rollers covered by the proposed practice might also be applicable for use with ASTM C78, Test Method for Flexural Strength of Concrete (Using Simple Beam with Third-Point Loading).

All interested parties are invited to take part in the ongoing development of ASTM WK42757. Bernard says that this participation could take the form of evaluating the effect of friction on rollers on the apparent flexural strength of plain concrete, since tests have so far been limited to fiber reinforced concrete.

ASTM International welcomes participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.

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ASTM Committee C09 Next Meeting: Dec. 9-11, 2013, December Committee Week, Jacksonville, Fla.
Technical Contact: Stefan Bernard, TSE Pty Ltd., Sydney, Australia, Phone: 224-725-5801; s.bernard@tse.net.au
ASTM Staff Contact: Scott Orthey, Phone: 610-832-9730; sorthey@astm.org 
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org

Release #9444