Comparisons of Tensile Fracturing Behaviors of Hydraulic Fully Graded and Wet‐Screened Concretes: A Mesoscale Study

Abstract

e widely used wet-screening method in the experimental testing of hydraulic fully graded concrete inevitably results in a gap between the real mechanical parameters of hydraulic fully graded concrete specimens and those of the corresponding wet-screened specimens and therefore necessitates the comparative study on their mechanical behaviors. To this end, a two-dimensional mesoscale modeling methodology is developed for simulating the tensile fracturing behaviors of hydraulic fully graded and wet-screened concretes, and extensive Monte Carlo simulations are performed. e individual effects of specimen size variation, variation of gradation and volume fraction of coarse aggregates, and the weaker interfacial transition zones surrounding the large coarse aggregates to be removed by wetscreening are detailed followed by the discussion on the combined effect of these three main factors. All the mean values of the macroscopic mechanical parameters related to tensile fracturing behaviors are found to show significant change in response to wetscreening, and the underlying differentiation mechanism and governing factor(s) are identified. Furthermore, it is shown that the randomness of the investigated parameters can be roughly described by the Gaussian distribution, and the dispersion of each of the investigated parameters of hydraulic fully graded concrete is higher than that of the corresponding wet-screened concrete.

Experimental study on fracture properties of dam concrete under post‐peak cyclic loading based on DIC and acoustic emission techniques

“…The aggregate size is much larger than ordinary concrete or wet‐screened concrete, and the expansion of cracks will be affected by the aggregate chain effect. Thus, the mechanical properties test of ordinary concrete cannot accurately describe the mechanical properties of dam concrete 6,7 . Therefore, to determine the fracture behavior of dam concrete, it is necessary to perform tests on dam concrete.…”

“…Thus, the mechanical properties test of ordinary concrete cannot accurately describe the mechanical properties of dam concrete. 6,7 Therefore, to determine the fracture behavior of dam concrete, it is necessary to perform tests on dam concrete.…”