Apparatus for Testing Concrete under Multiaxial Compression at Elevated Temperature (mac2T)

• Published in: Experimental mechanics Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 387 - 398
• Main Authors: Petkovski, M., Crouch, R. S., Waldron, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 01.06.2006
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Buildings. Public works; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Measurement and testing methods; Measurements. Technique of testing; Physics; Solid mechanics; Structural and continuum mechanics; Optical interferometry; Stiffness matrix; Elevated temperature; Hydraulic control; Multiaxial compression; Mechanical properties; Displacement(deformation); High temperature; Multiaxial load; Test bar; Compression test; Stress path; Deformation measurement; Laser interferometer; Test facility; Hydraulic motor; Concrete; Material testing; Strength; Stress measurement
• ISSN: 0014-4851; 1741-2765
• DOI: 10.1007/s11340-006-7463-8

This paper describes a new test facility for determining material mechanical properties of structural concrete. The novel facility subjects 100 mm cubic concrete specimens to true multiaxial compression (sigma1 (not equal to) sigma2 (not equal to) sigma3) up to 400 MPa at temperatures of up to 300 deg C. Forces are delivered through three independent loading frames equipped with servo-controlled hydraulic actuators creating uniform displacement boundary conditions via rigid platens. Specimen deformation is calculated from displacements measured to an accuracy of 10 m using a system of six laser interferometers. The combination of stiff loading frames, rigid platens, an accurate and reliable strain measurement system and a fast control system enables investigation of the material response in the post-peak range. The in-house developed control software allows complex multi-stage experiments involving (i) load and temperature cycling, (ii) small stress probes and (iii) arbitrary (pre-defined) loading paths. The program also enables experiments in which the values of the control parameters and the execution of the test sequences depend on the response of the specimen during the test. The capabilities of the facility are illustrated in this paper by experiments determining the effects of different heat-load regimes on the strength and stiffness of the material and tests identifying the tangent stiffness matrix of the material and the associated changes in the acoustic tensor under multiaxial compression.