Bending Performance of Alkali-Activated Concrete Beams Based on Digital Image Correlation Method

Area of Science:

• Civil Engineering
• Materials Science
• Structural Engineering

Background:

• Alkali-activated concrete (ALAC) presents a sustainable alternative to ordinary Portland cement concrete (PCC).
• Understanding the bending behavior of ALAC beams is crucial for optimizing their structural design and material performance.
• Traditional methods for assessing concrete beam performance may lack precision in capturing crack propagation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the bending behavior of ALAC beams with varying reinforcement ratios.
• To compare the efficacy of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) with traditional methods for performance assessment.
• To evaluate the mechanical properties and application potential of ALAC beams.

Main Methods:

• Four-point bending tests were performed on ALAC beams with different reinforcement ratios.
• Digital Image Correlation (DIC) was employed to measure cracking load, displacement, and crack width.
• Experimental results were compared with traditional measurement techniques and established formulas.

Main Results:

• DIC significantly improved the accuracy of crack load, displacement, and crack width measurements compared to traditional methods.
• Increasing reinforcement ratio in ALAC beams led to decreased mid-span displacement at peak load.
• ALAC beams demonstrated 1.07 times the bearing capacity, 1.4 times the mid-span displacement, and 0.72 times the maximum crack width of PCC beams at equivalent reinforcement ratios.

Conclusions:

• DIC is a superior method for analyzing crack initiation and propagation in concrete beams.
• ALAC beams exhibit promising mechanical behavior and structural potential, comparable or superior to PCC beams.
• Established formulas for ordinary concrete can effectively predict the performance of ALAC beams, validating their application.