Minimum specimen size for fracture parameters of site-casting dam concrete

Abstract This paper presents the minimum specimen size for experimental determination of the fracture parameters of site-casting dam concrete. Five series of wedge-splitting specimens for dam concrete with maximum aggregate size of 150 mm were tested, casting in the site of an actual super-high arch dam with its mixing tower system. The complete load-crack mouth opening displacement and load-crack tip opening displacement curves of the specimens were acquired. The fracture parameters, including fracture energy, effective fracture toughness, and critical crack tip opening displacement, were also obtained. Furthermore, the effect of specimen size on fracture parameters was discussed, and it was found that the minimum specimen size for determining the independent fracture parameters of the site-casting dam concrete should satisfy that ligament length is six times larger than the maximum aggregate size.

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