Behavior of Concrete in Water Subjected to Dynamic Triaxial Compression

Abstract

To understand the behavior of concrete material in ambient water, a series of triaxial compressive tests of concrete cylindrical specimens (ϕ100×200 mm) was conducted on a large scale triaxial machine. The acting pattern of water, confining pressure, loading strain rate, and moisture content were chosen as test parameters. The water acting patterns on concrete were directly divided into mechanical loading and real water loading according to whether the specimens were directly exposed to water or not. The confining pressure ranged from 0–8 MPa and the strain rate included 10−5/s, 10−3/s, and 10−2/s. By testing dry and saturated specimens, the effect of moisture on concrete strength was also examined. The test results indicated that the compressive strengths of both dry and saturated concrete increase obviously with the confining pressure under mechanical confining pressure. However, the effect on the strengthened dry concrete specimens is more significant. The strength of dry concrete under real water loading decreased remarkably, even less than its uniaxial strength, whereas the compressive strength of the saturated concrete specimen under real water loading is close to its uniaxial compressive strength. The strength of concrete increases with strain rate, and this phenomenon becomes more apparent under water loading.