Simulating the influence of pore shape on the Brazilian tensile strength of concrete specimens using PFC2D

Hadi Haeri, Vahab Sarfarazi, Zheming Zhu and Mohammad Fatehi Marji

Abstract

The Brazilian tensile strength of concrete samples is a key parameter in fracture mechanics since it may significantly change the quality of concrete materials and their mechanical behaviors. It is well known that porosity is one of the most often used physical indices to predict concrete mechanical properties. In the present work the influence of porosity shape on concrete tensile strength characteristics is studied, using a bonded particle model. Firstly numerical model was calibrated by Brazilian experimental results and uniaxial test out puts. Secondly, Brazilian models consisting various pore shapes were simulated and numerically tested at a constant speed of 0.016 mm/s. The results show that pore shape has important effects on the failure pattern. It is shown that the pore shape may play an important role in the cracks initiation and propagation during the loading process which in turn influence on the tensile strength of the concrete samples. It has also been shown that the pore size mainly affects the ratio of uniaxial compressive strength to that of the tensile one in the simulated material samples.

Key Words

Brazilian tensile strength; pore shape effect; simulation by PFC2D; concrete specimens

Address

Hadi Haeri: MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Underground Science and Engineering, School of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China Vahab Sarfarazi: Department of Mining Engineering, Hamedan University of Technology, Hamedan, Iran Zheming Zhu: MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Underground Science and Engineering, School of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China Mohammad Fatehi Marji: Department of Mining Engineering, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

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