Validation of 3D crack propagation in plain concrete. Part I: Experimental investigation - the PCT3D test

The objective of this paper is to provide experimental data on the propagation of curved crack-surfaces and the respective load-displacement diagrams for the validation of numerical models for cracking of concrete, subjected to three-dimensional stress states. To this end beam-shaped specimens are subjected to combined bending and torsional loading, leading to the formation of a spatially curved crack-surface. The experimental data contain the evolution of the load and of the strains at selected points in terms of the crack mouth opening displacement and the propagation of the crack surface.