Influence of loading frequency on the compressive fatigue behaviour of high-strength concrete with different moisture contents

Abstract

The fatigue behaviour of concrete with high moisture content has become an important subject of interest with the expansion of offshore wind energy systems. Investigations in the literature indicated that the numbers of cycles to failure significantly decreases with the increased moisture content in concrete. The damage mechanisms, which are responsible for an accelerated degradation behaviour, are investigated in a joint research project. In this paper, results of compressive fatigue investigations on high-strength concrete subjected to different loading frequencies are presented comparatively for specimens stored in air condition and underwater, i. e. different moisture content of the concrete. The results show that the damage accelerating effect of concrete with high moisture contents is more pronounced for lower loading frequencies. Additionally, the results of the stiffness development indicate that different damage mechanisms are acting with increasing the moisture content.