An analytical method to determine the bridging stress transferred within the fracture process zone: II, Application to mortar

The theory developed in Part I of this paper is used to analyse experimental results of mortar. The strain softening diagram of the mortar is determined from the compliance curve Cp within the fracture process zone (FPZ). The predicted extension of FPZ agrees well with experimental results. The complete diagram of the extension of FPZ at various stages of fracture provides a sound explanation to the size effect of Kr curves. And it is shown that the Cp experiment is a very sensitive method to determine the extension of FPZ.