Crack Development Research Articles

Study on mechanical properties and bearing capacity calculation of eccentric compression of RC columns reinforced with prestressed lattice steel

The external steel structure and RC column under eccentric compression have a reduced ability to work together, and using prestressing technology can significantly improve their ability to work together. Therefore, the paper proposes a new prestressed column reinforcement technology by adopting a space profile steel structure instead of angle steel and combining prestressing technology with the bolted connection. By conducting eccentric compression test studies on 11 specimens with different reinforcement methods, prestressing and eccentricity, load-displacement curves, stress distribution laws, ultimate bearing capacity, damage modes and prestressing influence rules were obtained. The main conclusions are as follows: prestressing can significantly improve the ability of external reinforcement steel structure and core column to work together and inhibit the development of concrete cracks. Compared with the traditional angle steel reinforcement, the bearing capacity is increased by 17.5 %, the stiffness is increased by 26.6 %, and the ductility is increased by 12.3 %. However, the reinforcement effect will be reduced if the prestressing is too large. It is recommended that the prestressing should be applied according to the size of 0.09 fc of the unilateral area of the core column. According to the prestressed lattice steel constraint mechanism, a mechanical analysis model of the reinforced member was established. Finally, based on the cross-section equilibrium method, a calculation method of eccentric compressive ultimate bearing capacity was proposed, and the research results can provide a basis for the engineering application of the new reinforcement method.

Experimental study on the damage characteristics of cyclic disturbance and acoustic emission characteristics of different types of sandstones under high stress in deep mines

AbstractThree sandstone specimens common in rock engineering were selected to study the differences in the mechanical properties of rocks with different lithologies. The development and expansion of the internal cracks in the specimens were observed by combining the simulation system with the acoustic emission system. Through the combination of dynamic and static stresses, the deformation and damage of rocks under deep rock excavation and blasting were simulated. As the results show, the acoustic emission events of specimens with different lithologies under combined static and dynamic cyclic loading can be roughly divided into three phases: weakening, stabilizing, and surging periods. In addition, the acoustic emission characteristics of specimens with different lithologies show general consistency in different compression phases. The degree of fragmentation of specimens increases with the applied stress level; therefore, the stress level is one of the important factors influencing the damage pattern of specimens. The acoustic emission system was used to simulate the deformation and damage of rocks subjected to deep rock body excavation and engineering blasting. Cyclic dynamic perturbations under sinusoidal waves with a frequency of 5 Hz, a loading rate of 0.1 mm/min, a cyclic amplitude of 5 MPa, and a loading rate of 0.1 mm/min were applied to the three rock samples during the experiments. Among them, the fine‐grained sandstones are the most sensitive to the sinusoidal cyclic perturbation, followed by the muddy siltstone and the medium‐grained sandstones. On this basis, the acoustic emission energy release characteristics were analyzed, and the waveform characteristics in the damage evolution of the specimen under dynamic perturbation were studied by extracting the key points and searching for the main frequency eigenvalues.

Crack resistance, permeability, and microstructural analysis of recycled aggregate concrete with SAP

High shrinkage and cracking performance are among the main problems that hinder the wide application of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC). To analyze the influence trend and mechanism of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) on the crack resistance of RAC, the effects of the recycled coarse aggregate (RA) content and SAP content on the crack resistance of RAC were studied via a slab cracking test. Moreover, the compressive strength, chloride permeability, pore distribution, and microstructure of the concrete in each mixture were also tested. The results showed that the incorporation of RA will have a negative impact on the crack resistance of concrete. The greater the amount of RA, the shorter the initial cracking time of the concrete, and the larger the crack width and area of the concrete. The initial cracking time, maximum crack width, and cracking area of the RAC tended to decrease with increasing SAP content. However, the crack resistance of the RAC does not seem to change much when the SAP content exceeds 0.3%, and even the local cracks in the slab specimens of the RAC increase in size. NMR and SEM analyses revealed that the water absorption-release and microreservoir characteristics of SAP affect the degree of the hydration reaction in the early stage, alleviate the internal drying of concrete, reduce shrinkage and inhibit the development of inner cracks, and effectively reduce the cracking sensitivity of RAC. This process can continuously provide water for the hydration reaction of cement when the SAP releases water in the later stage of curing, optimize the pore structure of the recycled concrete system, enhance its compactness, and improve its compressive strength and impermeability.

Flexural Performance of Steel–Normal Concrete–Ultra-High-Performance Concrete Composite Slabs with Steel Ribs

Flexural Performance of Steel–Normal Concrete–Ultra-High-Performance Concrete Composite Slabs with Steel Ribs

Shear behavior of circular concrete short columns reinforced with GFRP longitudinal bars and CFRP grid stirrups

Although fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcements have become popular, the post-pultrusion bending leads to significant deficiency in bent portions of FRP hoops and spirals. This study adopts flexible carbon FRP (CFRP) grids as stirrups, and investigates the shear behavior of circular short columns reinforced with GFRP bars and CFRP grid stirrups. Six specimens with different shear reinforcement ratios, axial load ratios and types of stirrups (CFRP grids and steel hoops) were tested to shear failures. The failure modes, crack and strain developments, and shear load-horizontal displacement responses were presented for discussion. All specimens experienced shear-compression failures, and the critical diagonal crack widths increased approximately linearly with shear loads. The typical shear load-horizontal displacement curve consisted of three branches: a linear elastic branch, a cracking branch with progressive slope deteriorations, and an almost flat failure branch. Increasing CFRP grid stirrup ratio could not only enhance strength and ductility performance, but also alleviate the slope degradations, while increasing axial load ratios could enhance the initial cracking loads, restrain crack propagations, and reduce the lateral displacements. In terms of strength performance, steel hoops could be replaced by CFRP grid stirrups even with smaller stirrup ratio. Additionally, analytical investigations suggested that the effective stresses and strains of CFRP grid stirrups at failure may be lower than code limits.

STUDY OF MICROSCALE PORE STRUCTURE AND FRACTURING ON THE EXAMPLE OF CHINA SHALE FIELD

Accurate characterization of pores and fractures in shale reservoirs is the theoretical basis for effective exploration and development of shale oil and gas. Currently, the scientific community has developed methods for determining the characteristics of the pore and fracture structure of shales with different resolutions, and also discussed the mechanisms of the influence of the characteristics of pores and cracks on the filtration of shale oil and gas. In this work, firstly, a three-dimensional model of a variable-scale pore-fracture structure was created. Secondly, on the basis of data obtained using computed tomography, the characteristics of the development of pores and cracks at different geometric sizes (25 and 2 mm) were statistically analyzed. Third, pore and fracture structures of mixed, felsitic and laminated felsitic shale have been relatively studied. The results show that: (a) the fractured porosity of group I felsite shale is 0.36–0.89 %; mixed shale of group I is 0.34–0.47 %; mixed shale of group III is 0.12–0.86 %; mixed shale of group III is 0.13–0.15 %. (b) Compared to mixed shale of group I, fracturing in felsite shale of the same group is more developed. In addition, the average fractured porosity of felsite shale is 0.28 % greater than that of mixed shale. After analyzing group III, it was noticed that the cracks of the mixed dolomite shale are less developed compared to the mixed shale of the same group, while the average porosity of the cracked shale is 0.33 % less than that of the cracks of the mixed shale (c). Various components of shale samples are distinguished on a gray scale. High density components are bright white (e.g. pyrite); medium density components — light gray (for example, quartz, carbonate and clay minerals); low-density components — dark gray (for example, organic matter); cracks — black (d). The volume of matrix components is relatively high and constitutes the bulk of the total volume of shale samples. The distribution of high-density minerals has a certain randomness. High-density ellipsoidal or irregular minerals (mainly pyrite) range in diameter from a few microns to hundreds of microns, and their volume is relatively small (e). Three types of microscale fractures are mainly developed in shale: microscale fractures within mineral particles (intragranular fractures), microscale fractures between mineral particles (intergranular fractures), and shrinkage fractures. Intragranular cracks are mainly microscale cracks formed by rigid particles that collapse in a certain direction under stress.

MatrixCraCS: Automated tracking of matrix crack development in GFRP laminates undergoing large tensile strains

A novel image processing method for tracking development of matrix cracks in glass-fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) laminates is presented. Images are acquired in a quasi-static tension test using transillumination white light imaging. These images show changes occurring due to developing damage. The method, called MatrixCraCS, tracks and quantifies matrix cracks while compensating for large specimen deformation and stitching threads, which obscure crack development and seriously impact crack detection. Matrix cracks are tracked via a sequential image difference and morphological filtering is used to detect cracks. MatrixCraCS is verified against synthetic images and shows an error of less than 7% in the quantified length of cracks and 0% detection failures. MatrixCraCS is validated against experimental results for a [±452°902°]S GFRP laminate, where microscopic analysis shows 5.92% error in crack detection. Error relative to manual crack tracking are quantified for detection failures and false positives as 3.3% and 1.57%, respectively. It is found that the method accurately quantifies cracks in GFRP laminates subject to large deformation and is robust against noise.

Characterizing damage evolution in fiber reinforced composites using in-situ X-ray computed tomography, deep machine learning and digital volume correlation (DVC)

In-situ X-ray computed tomography (CT) techniques enable to examine microstructural evolution of composite materials continuously and nondestructively under loading for better understanding the initiation and propagation of microscopic damages. This study explores the tensile damage behavior of notched woven carbon/epoxy composites under successive loading process. Since the image contrast of different composite material phases is normally low and conventional image segmentation techniques are hard to identify microstructures and defects in different directions distinctively, a U-Net image segmentation model based on deep machine learning algorithms is employed to characterize microstructures and material damages precisely and consistently. Digital volume correlation (DVC) approach is proposed here to measure the three-dimensional (3D) deformation fields of carbon/epoxy composites at different loading steps, and the DVC results are used to predict location of damage initiation and propagation. It is found that the damage modes of notched carbon/epoxy composites mainly include fiber breakage, longitudinal cracks in warp fiber tows, and transverse cracks in weft fiber tows. The individual fiber breakage occurs in warp fiber tows at the intermediate loading level, and longitudinal and transverse cracks appear in further loading levels. Longitudinal cracks and fiber breakage events take place in a region tangent to the notch tip and exhibit a strong interaction. The development of longitudinal cracks promotes the initiation and propagation of transverse cracks. In addition, the strain concentration regions in 3D deformation fields match well with the microscopic cracks segmented by the U-Net deep learning model. This study demonstrated that the integration of X-ray computed tomography, digital volume correlation and image semantic segmentation enables to identify damage initiation, evolution, extent and mechanism.

Investigation of corrosion-induced cracks using corrosion products quantified by an X-ray technique and FE analysis of single- and multiple-rebar beams

The effects of corrosion methods, galvanostatic (GS) vs. artificial climate environment (ACE), on the relationships between corrosion products and corrosion cracks of corroded reinforced concrete beams are investigated. The experimental results show that the GS method induces smaller corrosion crack width. A novel quantitative detection method of corrosion product thickness using X-ray and digital image processing techniques is proposed for investigating the continuous development of corrosion products. As the corrosion level increases, a smaller steel-to-rust volume expansion ratio caused by continuous leakage and a lower oxidation degree of corrosion products for the GS specimens are the major reasons for the smaller corrosion cracks. Regarding the effect of rebar arrangement on the development of corrosion-induced cracks, the expansion stress from corner-located rebars restrained the growth of corrosion products and further limited the propagation of corrosion-induced cracks of the center rebar. Estimated corrosion crack width via FE analysis using measured corrosion products as input show good agreement with experimental results.

Effect of magnetic induction intensity and steel fiber rate on strength improvement of cementitious filling composites

The underhand cut-fill backfill mining manner (UCFBMM) is widely employed in nonferrous metallic mines, and stability of the artificial backfill top plate directly determines the safety of operators and equipment, which puts forward higher requirements on fill’s bending properties. The purpose of the current research is to advance steel-fiber reinforced cemented tailings backfills’ (SFCTBs’) mechanical features by employing steel fibers. 17 groups of specimens were prepared by considering the effects of diverse steel fiber doping and magnetic induction strength on SFCTB’s bending properties. Steel fiber reinforced SFCTB’s bending evolution was studied by utilizing three-point bending tests, SEM interpretations, and X-ray computed tomography. Lab findings exhibited that directional distribution of steel fibers was effective in increasing SFCTB’s flexural strength, and the flexural strength was positively correlated with fiber doping and magnetic induction strength. The presence of steel fibers and their directional distribution well inhibited crack development, and thus the crack resistance and toughness of SFCTBs, enabling them to bear greater tensile force. The unadulterated steel fiber reinforced SFCTBs showed sudden fracture when reaching the peak load, while the steel fiber adducted SFCTB specimens showed the characteristics of good ductility. Due to gravity and magnetism, steel fibers were distributed at the bottom of SFCTBs and showed a directional distribution along the length of the specimens. Besides, SFCTBs produced further CSH-gels and Aft in process of hydration. The overall outcomes of the current study could run an academic guide to construction of artificial backfilling roofs in UCFBMM in terms of cost and operational stages.

Deformation behavior and damage characteristics of surface buildings induced by undercrossing of shallow large-section loess tunnels

The ground movement during the construction of shallow loess tunnels can easily cause deformation damage to surface buildings. Most the current studies focus on the damage soft soil and rock tunnels to independent buildings, and there are few studies on the case of building groups in loess areas. Using the new Xi’Yan Railway Luochuan Tunnel as a case study, we conducted on-site testing to study building settlement and crack development characteristics. Three-dimensional numerical simulations were carried out to analyze settlement, flexure deformation, and main tensile strain distribution characteristics of the buildings at different buried depths. The study determines the extent of damage resulting from differential settlement and tension cracks. The results show that construction during the upper, middle, and lower bench stages results in significant ground volume loss, leading to a ’wide and steep’ settlement pattern with a maximum settlement value of 567 mm. Building cracks exhibit positive and inverted splayed shapes, with lengths ranging from 0.5 to 6.0 m and widths between 0 to 170 mm. As buried depth increases, maximum settlement, flexure deformation, and main tensile strain of buildings also increase. The severe damage range of buildings initially increases and then stabilizes, with the maximum range caused by differential settlement and tensile cracks being 34 m and 29 m from the tunnel axis, respectively. Based on the analysis of building damage characteristics, it was determined that a combination of surface measures and measures within the tunnel should be used to control building damage caused by tunnel construction. These research findings can serve as valuable references for similar projects.

Anisotropic expansion behavior and crack orientation of reinforced concrete due to the alkali–silica reaction

In this study, the expansion behavior, surface and internal crack developments due to the alkali–silica reaction in two types of reinforced concrete prisms with and without stirrups are investigated. Longitudinal and transverse expansions are continuously monitored at various positions on the prism surfaces. Image analysis is employed to determine the densities of surface and internal cracks. Crack orientations for several groups of crack angles are measured to characterize the dominant crack pattern. The findings indicate that longitudinal expansion was transferred to the transverse direction at the middle region in both prisms, regardless of the presence of stirrups. However, average longitudinal, transverse, and volumetric expansions are reduced in prisms with stirrups. The anisotropy coefficient of expansion exhibits a strong proportional relationship with the surface and internal crack densities of each crack angle group. Therefore, the trend of internal crack orientations and expansion anisotropy can be estimated based on surface crack information.

Crack development and fracture performance of Recycled Powder Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC): Experimental investigation

In this paper, recycled concrete powder (RCP) and recycled brick powder (RBP), with particle sizes ranging from 10 to 130 μm, are used to completely replace the fine aggregate quartz sand at a ratio of 1:1. On this basis, recycled glass powder (RGP), with a discussed particle sizes range of 38–300 μm, is used to partially substitute the cementitious materials. Polyethylene (PE) fibers are used as the reinforcement in the Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC). Using the particle size range and substitution rate of RGP as variables, the crack development, crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD), fracture toughness and fracture energy of Recycled glass powder ECC (RGP-ECC) were discussed through a three-point bending experiment on a single-edge notch beam. A relatively comprehensive evaluation was made on the fracture performance and behavior of recycled ECC, and a suitable mix ratio of recycled powder ECC was given. The results show that the addition of various recycled powders will not affect the multi-slit cracking behavior of ECC, and the cracks can still spread densely, giving the specimen greater deformation capacity and CMOD. The total substitution of fine aggregate by RCP and RBP has a positive impact on the fracture toughness KICini, KICun and fracture energy (GF), but the addition of RGP has some minor negative effects. Among the particle size range and substitution rate of RGP, the influence of substitution rate is more obvious, and the fracture performance will show a downward trend after growth as the substitution rate increases. Choosing the appropriate RGP substitution rate and particle size range can maximize the recycling of construction waste while ensuring fracture performance.

Study on overburden failure characteristics and displacement rule under the influence of deep faults

Deep faults significantly impact the structural stabilities and deformation behaviors of their overburden rocks, which are key factors in underground engineering and geological hazard research. Considering the problem of deep-fault-overburdened breaking during mining of super-thick coal seams and taking the Yaoqiao Coal Mine as the research object, the mining fracture evolution characteristics and overburden displacement law of the non-structured and fault-bearing overburden corresponding to fully mechanized caving mining are compared and analyzed using numerical simulations and physical similarity simulations. The results of this study show the following: 1) The fracture height of the overlying rock presents a specific change law with advancement of the working face; the initial rapid increase to a maximum height of 74 m is achieved when the working face advances to 90 m; with the development of the plastic zone indicating past yield, the fracture height decreases to 54 m and becomes stable, and the final caving angle of the fracture stabilizes at 70°. 2) In coal mining under normal fault conditions, when the working face advances from the upper to lower walls, the roof forms a masonry beam structure that slows down fault activation and crack development. When moving away from the fault, the overburden movements and water-conducting cracks are fewer, and the crack height is lower than that without faults. When approaching the fault, the influence of the faults in the fracture zone increases, and the height of fracture development reaches the maximum value after crossing the fault, highlighting the significant influence of the fault on fracture development. 3) Through a similarity simulation test, it is shown that the overburden caving zone is further compacted by the overburden rock and that the roof collapses in a large range, resulting in rapid upward development of the overburden rock cracks and separation of the central overburden rock cracks that are gradually compacted and closed. These findings are expected to have important theoretical and practical significance for deep underground engineering design, geological disaster prevention, and fault activity monitoring.

Study of Rock Damage Constitutive Model Considering Temperature Effect Based on Weibull Distribution

The deformation and damage process of rocks is accompanied by crack extension and penetration. The rock strength criterion, as a macroscopic characterization of the rock strength microelement, is the basis for establishing the damage constitutive modeling of rock. Aiming at the problem of the Hoek–Brown (H–B) strength criterion having a large strength prediction value under high confining pressure, the H–B strength criterion is corrected by considering the influence of the initial cracks on the development of the rock strength, and its applicability is verified. Based on the damage theory, assuming that the rock strength microelement obeys the Weibull distribution and considering the influence of residual strength, the damage correction coefficient is introduced, and a thermal damage statistical constitutive model that can reflect the whole process of the development of initial cracks inside the rock is established. The degree of penetration up to the damage is established, and the method of determining the parameters of the model is given. The theoretical curves of the established model are compared and analyzed with the curves of a conventional triaxial compression test of rock samples, and the study shows that the statistical constitutive model of the thermal damage of rock, established based on the modified H–B strength criterion, can better simulate the stress–strain relationship of rock under a conventional triaxial test. It also verifies the reasonableness and applicability of the model, which is expected to provide a basis for the exploitation of deep resources and the safety assessment of underground engineering.

The study of the natural frequency evolution and numerical simulation of retrogressive landslides

A retrogressive landslide is influenced by the cyclical fluctuations in reservoir water levels is considered a common natural disaster. Tension cracks are important indicators for assessing landslide status in the case of retrogressive landslides. Displacement monitoring is a commonly used method and provides an intuitive reflection of the landslide deformation; however, it does not directly indicate the depth of the tension cracks. Based on the principles of vibrational dynamics, a retrogressive landslide is proposed to be initially classified as a single-mass spring oscillator model before the development of cracks. Following the development of tension cracks, the model can be classified as a double-mass spring oscillator model. The model patterns are verified through numerical simulations using ABAQUS. Based on the numerical simulations, with an increase in the number of reservoir water cycle fluctuations, the displacement and stress of the landslide exhibit periodic growth. However, during displacement growth, the tension cracks do not necessarily increase. As the tension cracks deepen, the landslide transitions from a single-mass spring oscillator model to a double-mass spring oscillator model, with the appearance of a second-order natural frequency. Moreover, as the tension cracks deepen, the numerical values of the natural frequency change. The maximum change in first-order natural frequency is 3.5 Hz. The maximum change in second-order natural frequency is 4.5 Hz. The variation in the natural frequency can reflect the depth of development of the landslide's tension cracks and, consequently, indicate changes in the stability state of the landslide.

The development and performance evaluation of diagonal tension cracks control devices

ABSTRACT The cause of diagonal tension cracks is the drying shrinkage of the initial concrete, which causes them to appear at the corners of square openings, which are the most vulnerable areas to stress. Looking specifically at the cause from a structural aspect, the concentrated stress exceeds the tensile strength of the concrete, causing cracks to occur at the corners. Typically, diagonal tension reinforcement bars are arranged to prevent diagonal tension cracks, however, they have often failed to be practical solutions because they do not entirely prevent the continued occurrence of cracks. Consequently, the present study developed diagonal tension cracks control devices that are capable of preventing diagonal tension cracks. Next, comparative experiments on existing diagonal tension reinforcement bars with respect to drying shrinkage were conducted to verify the utility of the diagonal tension crack reinforcement materials through performance evaluation. According to the results, the maximum elastic strain at the top and bottom opening edges was 29.2% and 35.8%, respectively, which was a large reduction compared to the 6.7% and 4.9% of the existing diagonal tension reinforcement. Considering the above points, it is expected that the developed control device will be very practical in terms of industry.

Mesoscopic Analysis of Fatigue Damage Development in Asphalt Mixture Based on Modified Burgers Contact Algorithm in Discrete Element Modeling.

This study is aimed at examining the mesoscopic mechanical response and crack development characteristics of asphalt mixtures using the three-dimensional discrete element approach via particle flow code (PFC). The material is considered an assembly of three phases of aggregate, mortar, and voids, for which three types of contact are identified and described using a modified Burgers model allowing for bond failure and crack formation at contact. The laboratory splitting test is conducted to determine the contact parameters and to provide the basis for selecting three different load levels used in the indirect tensile fatigue test and simulation. The reliability of the simulation is verified by comparing the fatigue lives and dissipated energies against those from the test. Under cyclic loading, the internal tensile and compressive force chains vary dynamically as a response to the cyclic loading; both are initially concentrated beneath the top loading strip and then extend downward along the loading line. The compressive chains are oriented roughly vertically and develop an elliptic shape as damage grows, while the tensile chains are mostly horizontal and become denser. An analysis based on the histories of the numbers of different contact types indicates that damage mainly originates from bond failures among the aggregate particles and at the aggregate-mortar interfaces. In terms of location, cracking is initiated below the loading point (consistent with observations from the force chains) and propagates downward and laterally, leading to the macrocrack along the vertical diameter. The findings provide a mesoscopic understanding of the fatigue damage initiation and propagation in asphalt mixture.

Research on the Crushing of Reinforced Concrete Two-Way Slabs by Pulse Power Discharge Technology

The application of pulse power discharge (PPD) technology in the crushing and dismantling of concrete structures has characteristics related to both green and environmental protection, as well as safety and reliability, with broad application prospects in the construction and municipal engineering fields in dense urban areas. Nevertheless, the research into using this technology to break reinforced concrete (RC) slabs is very limited, while the influence of key parameters on the crushing effect of reinforced concrete slabs is not clear. To solve this problem, a finite element model of an RC slab was established by ABAQUS. The effect of a shock wave generated by PPD on the surrounding concrete was simulated by an explosion-load equivalent, and the development process of concrete crack was simulated by a cohesive force model. Based on the results of the model analysis, the effects of reinforcement spacing, as well as diameter and concrete strength on the crushing effect of RC slabs were investigated. The results show that the increase in reinforcement diameter and the decrease in reinforcement spacing have a significant effect on limiting the development of cracks. According to the development of cracks, they can be divided into three types: edge cracks, cracks between central holes, and cracks between edge holes. The influence of reinforcement spacing and diameter on the first two crack widths is the most obvious. The increase in concrete strength also reduces the width of cracks. Based on the analysis results, the calculation expressions of the crushing effect of the PPD technique on RC slabs were established, which provides theoretical support for the popularization and application of this technique.

Experimental and numerical simulation study on flexural performance of high-strength reinforced concrete beams under static loading

In recent years, high-strength steel bars (HSSB), such as hot-rolled ribbed bars (HRB) and heat-treated ribbed bars (HTRB), have been promoted and used in reinforced concrete (RC) structures worldwide. There is still some controversy in existing research regarding the crack development process, failure modes, and the applicability of current code-specified calculation formulas for high-strength RC beams. The study of the mechanical properties of high-strength RC beams is of great significance in promoting the development of construction engineering science. In order to investigate the flexural behavior of high-strength RC beams, four-point bending static loading tests were carried out on 11 groups of RC beams with different parameters (reinforcement strength, concrete strength, and reinforcement ratio). The test results indicate that the crack development process and failure mode of high-strength RC beams exhibit obvious bending failure characteristics. Increasing reinforcement strength and reinforcement ratio significantly improves the bearing capacity of the beams, while the impact of increasing concrete strength on the beam's capacity is relatively small. The applicability of the calculation formulas in the current codes was analyzed, it was found that the yield moment formula in the current code accurately predicts the yield moment of high-strength RC beams, and the formula for calculating the maximum crack width was modified by proposing the maximum crack width adjustment factor kω. Subsequently, the failure process of high-strength RC beams was simulated using explicit dynamic finite element software LS-DYNA. Parameterized analyses were conducted to broaden the research scope. The ultimate moment prediction factor ku was proposed and a formula that can accurately predict the ultimate moment of high-strength RC beams was established.