Experimental Investigation of Mechanical Behaviorsof Self-Compacting Concrete under Cyclic DirectTension

Area of Science:

• Civil Engineering
• Materials Science
• Structural Engineering

Background:

• Self-compacting concrete (SCC) offers workability and eco-friendly benefits in construction.
• Limited experimental data exists on SCC's mechanical behavior under cyclic direct tension.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally investigate the mechanical properties of SCC under cyclic direct tension.
• To develop specialized equipment for direct tensile loading tests.
• To propose and validate a damage model for SCC under cyclic loading.

Main Methods:

• Developed custom direct tensile load equipment.
• Conducted experimental investigations on SCC under cyclic direct tension.
• Analyzed stress-strain curves, unloading/irreversible strain ratios, and energy dissipation.

Main Results:

• The envelope stress-strain curve under cyclic tension resembles monotonic tension, differing from compression.
• Unloading strain to irreversible strain ratio shows a near-linear dependency on unloading strain.
• Energy dissipation evolution in SCC is similar to normally vibrated concrete under cyclic tension and compression.
• Poisson's ratio for SCC was determined to be approximately 0.21.

Conclusions:

• The developed damage model accurately characterizes SCC's stress-strain behavior under monotonic and cyclic loading.
• This research provides essential data for understanding and modeling SCC under uniaxial cyclic direct tension.