Damage effects on concrete performance and microstructure

Abstract Changes in concrete properties and microstructure associated with different damaging effects were investigated. The damaging effects considered were induced by the exposure of concrete specimens to compression, impact, fatigue, and freeze–thaw cycles in saturated conditions. The influence of these damaging effects on the flexural strength, impact resistance, permeability and the extent and nature of microcrack propagation in concrete were investigated. Normal-strength and high-strength concrete materials were considered; the trends in damaging effects on concrete properties were justified based on microscopic observation of the trends in microcrack growth under such damaging effects.