Direct and Flexural Tension Test Methods for Determination of the Tensile Stress-Strain Response of UHPFRC
GRAYBEAL ; BABY ; MARCHAND ; TOUTLEMONDE
Type de document
COMMUNICATION AVEC ACTES INTERNATIONAL (ACTI)
Langue
anglais
Auteur
GRAYBEAL ; BABY ; MARCHAND ; TOUTLEMONDE
Résumé / Abstract
The tensile stress-strain response of Ultra-High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) is a fundamental mechanical behavior, and knowledge of this response is necessary for appropriate use of the concrete. To date, direct tension test methods aimed at assessing this property have generally found limited application due to their complexity and impracticality when considered in terms of a commercial testing environment. A joint research effort recently completed by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and the French IFSTTAR (formerly LCPC) has succeeded both in further advancing the field of flexure testing as well as in developing a novel, practical direct tension test method. The direct tension test can be considered as a reference method as it directly reports the uniaxial tensile stress-strain response of the concrete both pre- and post-cracking without requiring the use of any complex stress or strain transformations. Moreover, it can be completed relatively quickly through the use of commercially available mechanical testing equipment on cast or extracted specimens of cross-sectional dimension up 51 mm square. The flexural test remains easier to perform, while data processing requires special care. The paper describes the direct tension and flexure test methods, as well as results obtained from applying these tests to multiple UHPFRC-class materials.
