Failure criteria calibration based on the triaxial compression behavior of roller compacted concrete (RCC)

• Published in: Materials and structures Vol. 54; no. 1
• Main Authors: Zhang, Sherong, Wei, Peiyong, Wang, Chao, Wang, Gaohui, Lu, Wenbo, Cao, Kelei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.02.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Building construction; Building Materials; Civil Engineering; Concrete; Confinement; Confining; Criteria; Empirical analysis; Engineering; Failure; Hydraulic structures; Laboratory tests; Machines; Manufacturing; Materials Science; Mohr-Coulomb theory; Original Article; Processes; Roller compacted concrete; Solid Mechanics; Theoretical and Applied Mechanics; Mechanical properties; Triaxial compression tests; Failure criterion; Roller compacted concrete (RCC); Stress–strain relationships
• ISSN: 1359-5997; 1871-6873
• DOI: 10.1617/s11527-020-01582-w

Roller compacted concrete (RCC) has been widely used in large scale constructions such as hydraulic structures and heavy-duty pavements. Understanding the failure criterion based on the compression behavior of RCC under a relatively wide range of confining pressure is essential for the better analysis and design of RCC structures subjected to potential extreme dynamic loadings. However, few experimental results of RCC under confinement are available, and, to date, no study pays close attention on the triaxial behavior of RCC under relatively high confining pressure. In this study, triaxial behavior was investigated with the aim to better understand and model the constitutive behavior of RCC material. Purposely, laboratory tests were employed on 100 × 200 mm (diameter × length) cylindrical specimens, while the mix proportion and molding method were generally consistent with field construction. Triaxial tests were conducted under seven different confining pressure levels (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 MPa). Consequently, the triaxial compression behavior of RCC was obtained and the confinement effect was illustrated. Compared with conventional concrete, the effect of confinement on the failure strength and failure strain of RCC was less pronounced. The failure criteria of RCC under a relatively wide range of confining pressure were discussed. Parameters of Mohr–Coulomb and William-Warnke failure criteria were calibrated and novel empirical formulas were proposed to illustrate the compressive meridian of RCC material.