Applications of Fracture Mechanics to Reinforced Concrete


Book Description

Emphazises the most recent advances in fracture mechanics as specifically applied to steel bar reinforced concrete. Extensive expert opinions in four selected areas: size effects; anchorage and bond; minimum reinforcement for elements in flexure; and shear resistance. Logically addresses themes and demonstrate the unique ability of fracture mechanics to capture all the experimentally observed characteristics.




Fracture Mechanics of Concrete


Book Description

FRACTURE MECHANICS OF CONCRETE AND ROCK This book offers engineers a unique opportunity to learn, frominternationally recognized leaders in their field, about the latesttheoretical advances in fracture mechanics in concrete, reinforcedconcrete structures, and rock. At the same time, it functions as asuperb, graduate-level introduction to fracture mechanics conceptsand analytical techniques. Reviews, in depth, the basic theory behind fracture mechanics * Covers the application of fracture mechanics to compressionfailure, creep, fatigue, torsion, and other advanced topics * Extremely well researched, applies experimental evidence ofdamage to a wide range of design cases * Supplies all relevant formulas for stress intensity * Covers state-of-the-art linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM)techniques for analyzing deformations and cracking * Describes nonlinear fracture mechanics (NLFM) and the latestRILEM modeling techniques for testing nonlinear quasi-brittlematerials * And much more Over the past few years, researchers employing techniques borrowedfrom fracture mechanics have made many groundbreaking discoveriesconcerning the causes and effects of cracking, damage, andfractures of plain and reinforced concrete structures and rock.This, in turn, has resulted in the further development andrefinement of fracture mechanics concepts and tools. Yet, despitethe field's growth and the growing conviction that fracturemechanics is indispensable to an understanding of material andstructural failure, there continues to be a surprising shortage oftextbooks and professional references on the subject. Written by two of the foremost names in the field, FractureMechanics of Concrete fills that gap. The most comprehensive bookever written on the subject, it consolidates the latest theoreticalresearch from around the world in a single reference that can beused by students and professionals alike. Fracture Mechanics of Concrete is divided into two sections. In thefirst, the authors lay the necessary groundwork with an in-depthreview of fundamental principles. In the second section, theauthors vividly demonstrate how fracture mechanics has beensuccessfully applied to failures occurring in a wide array ofdesign cases. Key topics covered in these sections include: * State-of-the-art linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM)techniques for analyzing deformations and cracking * Nonlinear fracture mechanics (NLFM) and the latest RILEM modelingtechniques for testing nonlinear quasi-brittle materials * The use of R-Curves to describe cracking and fracture inquasi-brittle materials * The application of fracture mechanics to compression failure,creep, fatigue, torsion, and other advanced topics The most timely, comprehensive, and authoritative book on thesubject currently available, Fracture Mechanics of Concrete is botha complete instructional tool for academics and students instructural and geotechnical engineering courses, and anindispensable working resource for practicing engineers.




Applications of Fracture Mechanics to Reinforced Concrete


Book Description

This volume emphazises the most recent advances in fracture mechanics as specifically applied to steel bar reinforced concrete. Fracture mechanics has been applied to plain and fibre reinforced concrete with increasing success over recent years. This workshop extended these concepts to steel bar reinforced and pre-stressed concrete design. Particularly for high strength concrete, which is a very brittle material, and in the case of large structural members, the application of fracture mechanics appears to be very useful for improving the present design rules. The pre-eminent participants at the Turin workshop contributed extensive expert opinions in four selected areas for which a rational approach, using fracture mechanics, could introduce variations into the concrete design codes: size effects; anchorage and bond; minimum reinforcement for elements in flexure; and shear resistance. The 23 chapters logically address these themes and demonstrate the unique ability of fracture mechanics to capture all the experimentally observed characteristics. The book is primarily directed to the researchers in universities and institutions and will be of value to consultants and engineering companies.




Application of Fracture Mechanics to Cementitious Composites


Book Description

Portland cement concrete is a relatively brittle material. As a result, mechanical behavior of concrete, conventionally reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete, and fiber reinforced concrete is critically influenced by crack propagation. It is, thus, not surprising that attempts are being made to apply the concepts of fracture mechanics to quantify the resistance to cracking in cementious composites. The field of fracture mechanics originated in the 1920's with A. A. Griffith's work on fracture of brittle materials such as glass. Its most significant applications, however, have been for controlling brittle fracture and fatigue failure of metallic structures such as pressure vessels, airplanes, ships and pipe lines. Considerable development has occurred in the last twenty years in modifying Griffith's ideas or in proposing new concepts to account for the ductility typical of metals. As a result of these efforts, standard testing techniques have been available to obtain fracture parameters for metals, and design based on these parameters are included in relevant specifications. Many attempts have been made, in the last two decades or so, to apply the fracture mechanics concepts to cement, mortar, con crete and reinforced concrete. So far, these attempts have not led to a unique set of material parameters which can quantify the resistance of these cementitious composites to fracture. No standard testing methods and a generally accepted theoretical analysis are established for concrete as they are for metals.







Fracture mechanics of concrete: Structural application and numerical calculation


Book Description

Concrete has traditionally been known as a material used widely in the construction of roads, bridges and buildings. Since cost effectiveness has always been one of the more important aspects of design, concrete, when reinforced and/or prestressed, is finding more use in other areas of application such as floating marine structures, storage tanks, nuclear vessel containments and a host of other structures. Because of the demand for concrete to operate under different loading and environmen tal conditions, increasing attention has been paid to study concrete specimens and structure behavior. A subject of major concern is how the localized segregation of the constituents in concrete would affect its global behavior. The degree of nonhomogeneity due to material property and damage. by yielding and/or cracking depends on the size scale and loading rate under consideration. Segregation or clustering of aggregates at the macroscopic level will affect specimen behavior to a larger degree than it would to a large structure such as a dam. Hence, a knowledge of concrete behavior over a wide range of scale is desired. The parameters governing micro-and macro-cracking and the techniques for evaluating and observing the damage in concrete need to be better understood. This volume is intended to be an attempt in this direction. The application of Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics to concrete is discussed in several of the chapters.




Mechanical damage and crack growth in concrete


Book Description

Following Volumes III and IV that dealt with the fracture mechanics of concrete emphasizing both material testing and structural application in general, it was felt that specimen size and loading rate effects for concrete require further attention. The only criterion that has thus far successfully linearized the highly nonlinear crack growth data of concrete is the strain energy density theory. In particular, the crack growth resistance curves plotting the strain energy density factor versus crack growth known as the SRĀ·curves are straight lines as specimen size and loading steps or rates are altered. This allows the extrapolation of data and provides a useful design methodology. This book is unique in that it is devoted specifically to the application of the strain energy density theory to civil engineering structural members made of concrete. Analyzed in detail is the strain softening behavior of concrete for a variety of different components including the influence of steel reinforcement. Permanent damage of the material is accounted for each increment of loading by invoking the mechanism of elastic unloading. This assumption is justified in concrete structures where the effective stiffness depends primarily on the crack growth rate and load history. Crack growth data are presented in terms of SR-curves with emphases placed on scaling specimen size which alone can change the mode of failure from plastic collapse to brittle fracture. Loading rate effects can also be scaled to control failure by yielding and fracture.




Acoustic Emission and Related Non-destructive Evaluation Techniques in the Fracture Mechanics of Concrete


Book Description

The development of NDT (non-destructive testing) techniques used for the inspection of concrete structures is currently in high demand, because many existing structures have become aged and deteriorated in service. In order to formulate predictions on their stability and to estimate their safety, it is necessary to identify damage signals and to determine their causes. In this regard, the development and establishment of innovative and highly advanced non-destructive methods are required. Acoustic Emission (AE) and related NDE (non-destructive evaluation) techniques have been extensively used to determine crack detection and damage evaluation in concrete. With the move towards a more sustainable society, and the need to extend the long-term service life of infrastructure and aging and disastrous damage due to recent earthquakes, Acoustic Emission (AE) and Related Non-destructive Evaluation (NDE) Techniques in the Fracture Mechanics of Concrete: Fundamentals and Applications is a critical reference source for civil engineers, contractors working in construction and materials scientists working both in industry and academia. - Presents innovative Acoustic Emission (AE) and related non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques, used for damage detection and inspection of aged and deteriorated concrete structures - Contributions from recognized world-leaders in the application of acoustic emission (AE) and NDE techniques used for the damage assessment of concrete and concrete structures - With the move towards a more sustainable society, and the need to extend the long-term service life of infrastructure and damage due to recent earthquakes, this book is of critical importance - An essential knowledge resource for civil engineers, contractors working in construction and materials scientists working both in industry and academia




Fracture Mechanics of Concrete Structures


Book Description