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Characterization of macrocrack propagation under sustained loading in steel fibre reinforced concrete

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Abstract

Preoccupation for improving concrete infrastructure durability has become just as important as safety issues and concrete cracking plays a key role for durability. Despite various studies carried out in the last decade, very little information regarding the propagation of cracking under sustained loading and the physical mechanisms involved is available. In order to address this problem, an experimental study on the propagation of a macrocrack under sustained loading in steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams was completed. This article describes the flexural creep tests carried out on 0.7 m long beams. The evolution of the deflection, the crack width and the crack propagation were measured until the specimens’ failure. The results permit the assessment of the influence of initial CMOD and sustained load levels on crack propagation, damage evolution, and the mechanisms leading to the rupture of the beams. In addition, behaviour of beams in sealed and drying hydric conditions with an identical loading history are compared to determine the influence of hydric conditions. The results show that crack propagation governs the failure mechanisms of SFRC beams subjected to high sustained load levels.

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Acknowledgments

This project has been financially supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, the Center for Research on Concrete Infrastructures of Quebec (FQRNT-CRIB). Materials were graciously provided by Bekaert, Holcim and Euclid. The authors gratefully acknowledge the technical staff of Polytechnique Montreal for its contribution in conducting the experimental program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique of Montreal, P.O. Box 6079, Station Centre-ville, Montreal, QC, H3C 3A7, Canada

    Dominic Daviau-Desnoyers, Jean-Philippe Charron & Bruno Massicotte

  2. Université Paris-Est, IFSTTAR, MAT, 75732, Paris, France

    Dominic Daviau-Desnoyers, Pierre Rossi & Jean-Louis Tailhan

Authors
  1. Dominic Daviau-Desnoyers
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  2. Jean-Philippe Charron
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  3. Bruno Massicotte
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  4. Pierre Rossi
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  5. Jean-Louis Tailhan
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Correspondence to Jean-Philippe Charron.

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Daviau-Desnoyers, D., Charron, JP., Massicotte, B. et al. Characterization of macrocrack propagation under sustained loading in steel fibre reinforced concrete. Mater Struct 49, 969–982 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-015-0552-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-015-0552-3

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