The modified compact tension (MCT) test, though not yet recognized as a valid test for determining fracture energy of concrete, is believed to represent a plausible and suitable alternative versus other well established procedures, such as the wedge-splitting test (WST) and the three point (3PB) or four point bending (4PB) tests, due to its simplicity and low cost. The aim of the paper is twofold: Firstly, to demonstrate the necessary correspondence between the experimental MCT test setup and finite element simulations and secondly, to initiate the way of establishing the desirable conversion between the fracture energy parameter values resulting from the MCT test and the standard conventional procedures. MCT tests are carried out and compared with the numerical results from 2-D and 3-D finite element calculations using the commercial codes ABAQUS and ATENA, the latter being specifically developed for applications on concrete structures and elements. In this way, the usability of the modified compact tension test for practical purposes is confirmed.

The paper is focused on the determination of mechanical fracture parameters from the modified compact tension test applied to the cement-based composites. The experimental measurement was carried out by means of the ARAMIS equipment. The numerical study is performed by ATENA 2D software (based on a cohesive law for crack propagation) taking the material parameters for numerical study from the standard compression test. The experimental and numerical results are discussed and compared with the help of basic fracture parameters and Load – COD (crack open displacement) diagrams.

A new approach for measuring the specific fracture energy of concrete denoted modified disk-shaped compact tension (MDCT) test is presented. The procedure is based on previous ideas regarding the use of compact tension specimens for studying the fracture behavior of concrete but implies significant modifications of the specimen morphology in order to avoid premature failures (such as the breakage of concrete around the pulling load holes). The manufacturing and test performance is improved and simplified, enhancing the reliability of the material characterization. MDCT specimens are particularly suitable when fracture properties of already casted concrete structures are required. To evaluate the applicability of the MDCT test to estimate the size-independent specific fracture energy of concrete (G F ), the interaction between the fracture process zone of concrete and the boundary of the MDCTspecimens at the end of the test is properly analyzed. Further, the experimental results of G F obtained by MDCT tests for normal-and high-strength selfcompacting concrete mixes are compared with those obtained using the well-established three-point bending test. The procedure proposed furnishes promising results, and the G F values obtained are reliable enough for the specimen size range studied in this work.

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The modified compact tension test (MCT) might become in the future a stable test configuration for the evaluation of fracture-mechanics parameters or also for description of fatigue behavior of composites materials such as concrete. Core drilling is used for sampling of existing structures. These samples have cylindrical shape with the selected thickness to avoid the stress concentration. This contribution focuses on the evaluation of the fracture behavior during static and quasi static tests. Static tests are performed on standard specimen with diameter 150 mm and length 300 mm. The quasi-static tests are performed using two different gripping fixtures. The results for quasi-static tests are represented as L-COD diagrams (i.e. load vs. crack opening displacement) measured on the loading axis. The comparison of results and discussion of advantages and disadvantages are introduced.