Concrete fracture considering aggregate grading

Combining the advantages of the size and the boundary effect models, an improved fracture model for determining the material parameters of concrete is proposed in this paper, considering concrete aggregate grading. The simple method for determining the fictitious crack growth length at peak loads of concrete specimens is identified through quantitative research. The independent fracture toughness and tensile strength of concrete can be determined with the maximum value of correlation coefficients in curve fitting, and the effect of maximum aggregate size, water to cement ratio, and coarse aggregate volume on fracture can be fully considered. A total of 300 self-compacting concrete specimens are used for analysis to verify the applicability and feasibility of the proposed model. The full structural fracture failure curves of concrete with upper and lower limits covering the experimental peak loads are established on the basis of the normal distribution methodology.

Automated summary

An improved fracture model for concrete is proposed in this study, which combines the advantages of size and boundary effect models to determine material parameters while considering aggregate grading. Through quantitative research, a simple method for determining fictitious crack growth length at peak loads is identified. The study shows that independent fracture toughness and tensile strength of concrete can be determined through curve fitting, taking into account factors such as maximum aggregate size, water to cement ratio, and coarse aggregate volume that affect fracture.