Investigation on the influence of high-pressure water environment on fracture performance of concrete

This research aims to identify the influence of damage generated by high pressure water on concrete fracture performance under three-point bending. The range of applied water pressure was 0-4 MPa. According to the findings, high pressure water damage significantly influences the concrete fracture performance, resulting in a faster failure process, poorer bearing capacity, and higher cracking susceptibility. The damage caused by high pressure water is quantified by the deterioration degree of elastic modulus, and the relationship between peak load, crack length, and water pressure is established. The double-K fracture criterion determines the fracture characteristics of concrete damaged by high pressure water. Cohesive fracture toughness and unstable fracture toughness could decrease with increased water pressure, while initiation fracture toughness would not be significantly affected. This paper presents the empirical formula for the fracture parameters and modifies the double-K fracture model of concrete exposed to high pressure water.

Automated summary

This research aims to investigate the influence of high pressure water damage on the fracture performance of concrete under three-point bending. The results show that high pressure water damage significantly affects the fracture performance, resulting in accelerated failure process, decreased bearing capacity, and increased cracking susceptibility. The relationship between peak load, crack length, and water pressure is established, and the fracture characteristics of concrete damaged by high pressure water are determined using the double-K fracture criterion.