Effect of the number and arrangement of inclusions on the strength of concrete specimens

Abstract

In concrete structures, we identify deformation fields of nodes with applied concentrated stress, which are accompanied by a change in the density and shape of force trajectories. These changes are caused by the presence of large grains of aggregate and/or reinforcing bars (inclusions) in the concrete, clumps of grains of normal size, or the presence of a cavern around the grain of the aggregate. These internal imperfections are among the important parameters that affect the failure process of concrete test specimens, and thus the initiation and development of cracks in concrete and can have a negative impact on the strength of concrete elements. This paper deals with the influence of the number of inclusions in their symmetrical arrangement on a series of test specimens of three different sizes, which are subjected to uniaxial compression. Attention is paid to the selection of a suitable standardization parameter, which will consider the different quality of concrete test specimens