Comparison between Direct Tension, Four-Point Flexure, and Simplified Double-Punch Tests for UHPC Tensile Behavior
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34, Issue 9
Abstract
As ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) becomes more widely used, the need for good concrete tensile tests for fiber-reinforced concrete has become apparent. However, there is not yet one universally used test method. This research compares the results between standard direct tension, four-point flexure, and double-punch tests. Each test method was run on batches of UHPC made with two fiber types each at five different doses by percent volume, resulting in a testing matrix of 10 different mixes. The results of each test method were plotted to see how well different outcomes, such as peak strength and toughness, would reflect differences in fiber content. The results of the two indirect tension tests were then compared to the results of the direct tension test to see how well they correlated. Results showed that the average maximum stresses of each test method did not have good correlation but that measures of toughness or postcracking strength did have reliable correlation between the direct tension test and both of the simpler test methods.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. This includes:
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Graphs of stress versus strain or stress versus displacement for each of the 130 specimens tested;
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Numeric results of toughness, maximum stress, and stress at specified displacements for each of the 130 specimens tested; and
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Averages, standard deviations, and coefficients of variation for each of the 30 sets of replicates.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Florida Department of Transportation for funding this work under Contract No. BDV31 977-105. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Florida Department of Transportation. For donation of materials used in this research, the authors thank Argos US, LLC, Sika US, and Edgar Minerals. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Taylor Rawlinson, Joshua Halford, and Dr. Eduardo Torres for assistance with specimen fabrication and testing.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34 • Issue 9 • September 2022
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 8, 2021
Accepted: Jan 14, 2022
Published online: Jun 28, 2022
Published in print: Sep 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Nov 28, 2022
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- Madeleine M. Roberson, Isaac L. Howard, Jay Shannon, Ashley S. Carey, Applicability of Large-Scale Direct Tension Specimens to Quantify Tensile Strength of Fiber-Reinforced Ultra-High-Performance Concrete, Advances in Civil Engineering Materials, 10.1520/ACEM20220054, 11, 1, (20220054), (2022).