Experimental study on concrete under dynamic tensile loading

Abstract

This study was conducted to understand and enhance the available data on the dynamic property of concrete, which is vital for the resistance design and safety evaluation of large-scale concrete structures such as arch dams. Dynamic rapid tensile loading tests on dumb-shaped specimens were conducted using a MTS318 testing machine. From the test results it was found that with increase in strain rate the strength, initial elastic modulus and strain at peak stress of concrete all increase definitely but the fundamental shape of stress-strain response of specimen to higher strain rate is similar to that observed in static test. From the results of the study, two equations, one for ascending branch and the other for the descending branch, are suggested to formulate the stress-strain behavior of concrete at different strain rates, for the benefit of improved understanding and modeling of the constitutive behavior of the material. Journal of Civil Engineering Research and Practice Vol. 3(1) 2006: 1-8