Concrete Compressive Stress-Induced Crack Analysis and the Main Causes of Concrete Cracks in Construction

Abstract

The findings of experimental investigations into the micromechanical behaviour of concrete under various loading scenarios are presented in this work. Concrete specimens with normal and high strengths were examined under uniaxial compression in constrained spaces. Injection of a low melting point alloy was done into the concrete specimens' pores and fissures. To preserve the load-induced stress microcracks and the pictures from the cross sections of the concrete specimens photographed by scanning electron microscopy, this alloy was cemented at the stress of interest (SEM). To ascertain the density, orientation, and branching of the compressive stress-induced microcracks as well as the effect of confinement on microcrack behaviour, stereological analysis was used to the computerised pictures. Through the use of two-dimensional parts, stereological analysis analyses three-dimensional structuresThe density and branching of the microcracks decreased as the confining stress grew. The confining stress had a substantial effect on the microcracks in the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between the cement paste and aggregate. Interfacial cracking significantly decreased as the confining stress was raised. There were noticeable variations in the crack patterns seen in normal- and high-strength concretes under uniaxial compression. The two types of concrete had comparable microcrack patterns when placed in a small space.