Fracture toughness of fiber reinforced polymer concrete

J.M.L. Reis
Laboratrio de Mecnica Terica e Aplicada (LMTA), Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Programa de Ps- raduac!o em "ngen#aria Mecnica, $% & 'ra(il

Abstract
Fracture toughness of glass fiber reinforced polyester polymer concrete beams was investigated in loading conditions using three-point bending tests. Polymer oncrete is usually composed of natural aggregates such as silica sand! binded together with a thermoset resin. "n this paper it is reported the use of a direct method to calculate! the critical stress intensity factor! #ic and J integral from e$perimental results of unreinforced and glass fiber reinforced polymer concrete.

#eywords% fracture toughness! polymers! composite! fiber reinforcement

& "ntroduction During the last years polymer concrete become a good choice in civil engineering applications due its high strength, fast cure and durability when compared to ordinary cement concrete. Many of these are produced using epoxy and polyester resins. In South America, however, there is still limited knowledge of the properties and production methods of these materials and the market for these compounds is virtually non existent, probably due to the elevated cost associated with polymer concrete if compared with conventional materials. !he enormous potential of high performance fibers that is so successfully exploited in the conven tional polymer composites has not been widely used in the polymer concretes. "evertheless, the fiber reinforcement of the polymer concrete is not a new concept, the chopped strand glass fiber has been applied to the polymer composites for improving the strength and controlling the cracking #$, %&. !o characteri'e the failure behavior of the polymer composites in terms of the constituents, some attempts have been made for e(cient use #), *&. Mode I fracture type according to loading condition is taken into consideration in most of the study performed in the fracture mechanics. +owever, there occur random cracks in general loading conditions.
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J.M.L. Reis

In this paper, the fracture properties of epoxy polymer concrete and fiber reinforced polymer con crete were tested by three point bending tests after exposure to di,erent weather conditions. -olymer concrete consists, in essence of an aggregate blend mixed with a polymer resin in convenient propor tions which were previously studied #., /& and are used in repairing or in constructing layers or sections in reinforced concrete structures with high ductility #0&. !o perform these tests, the !-1M is used to evaluate two independent si'ed fracture parameters, the stress intensity factor, 2)c3 to 4I56M recommendations #7, 8&. Another fracture parameter calculated from these tests was the 9 integral #$:&. * 1$perimental procedure In the research study tests were performed on -olymer ;oncrete beams with in order to characteri'e the fracture behaviour of epoxy and polyester polymer concrete reinforced with glass fibers. ;onsid ering previous research #., /&, in which the resin content and type of aggregate were studied, the best composition was %:< of resin and 7:< of aggregate in mass, were the resin content is the biggest factor of influence on the behaviour. Analy'ing the main e,ects and interactions an optimum for mulation was obtained. !he -; material components were foundry sand which consists of siliceous sand, designed by S-.., used in the foundry industry, with a uniform granulometry, and an average diameter of %*. *m. !he polyester resin used to perform this investigation was S%%/6 "6S!6, an unsaturated orthophtalic polyester resin diluted in **< styrene with a flexural strength of $$8 M-a. !he resin system is pre accelerated by the manufacturer and the initiator used with this resin was methyl ethyl ketone peroxide M62- =%< in mass>. !he epoxy resin system used was 6-?SI5 ..$ SI5I;6M based on a diglycidyl ether bisphenol A and an aliphatic amine hardener, with a maximum mix ratio to hardener of %@$, with low viscosity =.::A /:: M-a s> and a flexural strength of 0:+. M-a, which cluster the sand, giving high strength and cohesion. ;hopped 6 glass fibers were used as reinforcement of the -; system. !he chopped glass fibers were provided by --B with no si'ing and soaked in a %< Silane A$0* solution. !he Silane coupling agent = , methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane> was introduced into the -; by pretreatment of glass fibers. !he trimethoxy group undergoes hydrolysis in aCueous solution and hydroxyl groups are then available to form oxane bands to the sand and glass fiber surface. !he fibers were blended in the polymer concrete mix by $< of glass fiber, of the total weight, and the fiber considered was / mm length.
All the di,erent binder formulations and mix proportions were mixed and molded in prismatic specimens, according to 4I56M !; $$)D-;% #$$& specifications.

-olymer concrete specimens were compacted in a steel mold of dimensions of ): mm x /: mm x /:: mm, then cut to final si'e according to 4I56M 4eport #8&. !he specimens were initially cured at room temperature for %* h. 6poxy specimens were o then postcured during 0 hours at /: ; while polyester specimens were post cured o during * hours at 7: ;. !he samples were notched using a % mm diamond saw to a %: mm depth. !he -; samples were tested using an I"S!4?" machine with a cross head speed of :.. mmDmin.
!he crack mouth opening displacement =;M?D> was measured using a ;?D gauge clipped to the
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Fracture toughness of fiber reinforced polymer concrete

9 7 &

bottom of the beam and held in position& by two $.. mm =+:> steel knife edges glued to the specimen. In this test, the relation a:EF -9 $E) holds. !his approach is the same as proposed in #8& =see 1ig. $>.

8 Fracture mechanics tests !he tests were analy'ed to evaluate 2 ). , by the two parameter fracture method described in 4I56Ms reports #7, 8& and 9 integral.
!o calculate 2). , the e,ective critical crack length a &, which is a+ Gstable crack growth at peak load, should be determined first. !o obtain the value of a& the following eCuation has to be solved

7/a&0&0 ": 1&2 0.u2

*

=$>

'2
gauge holder, F unloading unloading

where S is the specimen loading span, + + is the thickness of the clip and H are the beam depth and width, respectively, ;u is the +377 compliance at peak load which is assumed to be the same as the compliance at about 8.< of the peak load in the postpeak stage I$= 12

is

0&012 : +3,7 4 *3*51 ; * 8 83,51 4 *3+91 ; 0& 4

and 1& is

p
7 a
&

= % = ) = * = . = / &344 4 1

12 *
1& : 0
a & ; 5 + 2 0 2 ; 5 + 2

F 0 1 2 * ' 2
where -ma8 is the peak load, a& is the e,ective critical crack length and 1=12 is given by

!he value of the critical stress intensity factor, 2 ). , is then calculated using

& F 012 : p
where

6). :

8 P
m a $

7
1:

0& ; *

2
&

/
9 <etermination of J).
9 integral method can be applied to find fracture toughness of a nonlinear elastic material #$:&. !his method is based on determining the change of potential energy when a crack extends. !hat is,

factors can be converted

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9 7 *

J.M.L. Reis

into the strain energy release rate. For linear elastic materials! the strain energy release rate e=uals to J integral! which can be resolved appro$imately into J ) as follows! %: 0& 4 * 9 2 " 6
*
"c

052

>here 9 is the Poisson ratio and 1 is the fle$ural modulus of the material. ?he resolved J-integral values were calculated using the above e=uation and the results are presented from table & to 9. 6 Results and discussion ?hree-point tests results are presented in figure &.

Figure &% @lass fiber polymer concrete fracture test

?able &% Polyester polymer concrete tests results

'pecimens PBLC& PBLC*

#). 0MPa

m2

&.*&, &.*9&

J). 03Am2 &*6.969 &8+.96&

PBLC8 PBLC9 PBLC6 Average 't.<ev BD " 046E2

&.996 &.&57 &.+45 &.*8, +.&*5+7877 &+.8949&97 +.&899&798

&,7.579 &&4.&99 &+*.&&4 &8+.5+7 *,.,496*7 *&.86*88 *4.7*96+7

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osta Mattos

Fracture toughness of fiber reinforced polymer concrete

9 7 8

?able & displays the tests results from unreinforced polyester polymer concrete. @lass fiber reinforced polyester polymer concrete is presented in table *.

?able *% @lass fiber reinforced polyester polymer concrete tests results

#).

'pecimens FDP& FDP* FDP8 FDP9 FDP6 Average 't.<ev BD " 046E2

0MPa

m2

&.9,& &.685 &.6+& &.9*8 &.8,* &.97& +.+76&5+6* 9.97&87886 +.+759&854

J). 03Am2 &59.8,9 *+&.66* &4&.4,& &,*.685 &7+.84* &5*.&76 &7.&6*7,6 5 5.57,+858 & &7.46846& *

?able 8 represents the tests results! 'tress "ntensity Factor 0# ). 0MPa m22 and J "ntegral from unreinforced epo$y polymer concrete. @lass fiber reinforced epo$y polymer concrete tests results are presented in table 9.

?able 8% 1po$y polymer concrete tests results

'pecimens 1PBFC& 1PBFC* 1PBFC8 1PBFC9 1PBFC6 Average 't.<ev BD

#). 0MPa

J). m2 03Am2 689.5*& 856.,+5 96&.557 969.,6, 6++.787 976.67* 67.878788 5 &*.&+7654 4

*.9+& *.+84 *.*+, *.*&9 *.8*8 *.*8, +.&8757&4, 7.&&576+94

" 046E2

+.&9876&*

64.&647*5 *
Mechanics of 'olids in (ra)il *++,! Marc-lio Alves . /.'. da osta Mattos 01ditors2 (ra)ilian 'ociety of Mechanical 'ciences and 1ngineering! "'(3 4,556-56,74-8+-,

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J.M.L. Reis

?able 9% @lass fiber reinforced epo$y polymer concrete tests results

#).

'pecimens FD1& FD1* FD18 FD19 FD16 Average 't.<ev BD " 046E2

0MPa

*.8,4 *.6,7 *.98, *.89+ *.*49 *.9+6 +.&+546,88 9.68++,879 +.&&987*8& Figure 8 shows the cyclic test of glass fiber reinforced polymer concrete Figure *% Gnreinforced polyester polymer concrete test result

Figure * displays the load-unload tests results of unreinforced polyester polymer concrete

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(ra)ilian 'ociety of Mechanical 'ciences and 1ngineering! "'(3 4,5-56-56,74-8+-,

Fracture toughness of fiber reinforced polymer concrete

976

Figure 8% @lass fiber polyester polymer concrete test result

Figure 9 displays the load vs. MB< tests results of unreinforced epo$y polymer concrete

Figure 9% Gnreinforced epo$y polymer concrete test result

Figure 6 shows the cyclic test of glass fiber epo$y polymer concrete
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J.M.L. Reis

1igure .@ Blass fiber epoxy polymer concrete test result

It is clear, analysing the tests results, that fiber reinforcement improves fracture toughness of poly mer concrete. !he stress intensity factor of glass fiber reinforced system is $7,$< and the 9 integral increases )8,)< when polyester system is used as binder
Applying the same analogy, when glass fiber reinforces epoxy resin system the increase in the fracture toughness is 0,.< and a %$,0< increasement is observed for 9 integral.

Jnreinforced epoxy polymer concrete has higher fracture toughness than polyester ones 7:< and the glass fibers are applied to the mixture /*,/< increasement is observed. !he 9 integral results are even higher, %..,8< for unreinforced polymer concrete and %$$,$< for glass fiber reinforced epoxy polymer concrete when compared to glass fiber polyester polymer concrete. 1iber reinforcement is been used by construction industry during the last decades reinforcing con crete structures. -olymer concrete is a recent material and is proving that is a good choice over ordinary cement concrete for certain applications. As it happens with ordinary cement concrete glass fiber reinforcement improves facture toughness of polymer concrete. 7 onclusions
1actors such as material variability =polymer, aggregates, promoter, initiator>, degree of compaction and curing conditions will a,ect the -; properties.
Di,erent fracture parameters are calculated to evaluate the application of the method proposed by 4I56M #7& and Shah and ;arpinteri #8&, and in plain and reinforced polymer concrete.
As expected the use of glass fiber reinforcement increases fracture parameters such as stress intensity factor, 2)c. !he increasement observed in this research is higher in the polyester polymer concrete

Mechanics of 'olids in (ra)il *++,! Marc-lio Alves . /.'. da osta Mattos 01ditors2 (ra)ilian 'ociety of Mechanical 'ciences and 1ngineering! "'(3 4,5-56-56,74-8+-,

Fracture toughness of fiber reinforced polymer concrete

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when compared to epo$y polymer concrete. As observed in the fracture toughness! the J integral results are higher in the polyester P than in the epo$y ones. @lass fiber increases fracture toughness of polymer concrete with both binders producing better reinforcement in polyester resin systems than in epo$y resin. According to previous studies and as e$pected due to better performed of the epo$y resin! the results that polymer concrete has when epo$y resin is used as binder is clearly high. AcHnowledgement ?he support of oordenaIJo de AperfeiIoamanto de Pessoal de 3-vel 'uperior! PRB<B scholarship is gratefully acHnowledged.
References

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[2] Iipulanandan, [3] 4amana,

;. K Mebarkia, S., 1lexural and fracture properties of glass fiber reinforced polyester polymer concrete. A.) /P, &770&2, pp. $A$/, $88/.

I.-.I., 2ant, !., Morton, S.6., Dutta, -.2., MukherLee, A. K Desai, M .M., Hehaviour of cfrpc strengthened reinforced concrete beams with varying degrees of strengthening. .ompos "ng, Part ( 8&, pp. */$A*0:, %:::. intensity factors of epoxy mortar. Pol:m "ng /ci, *50&52, pp. $$7%A$$8$, $877.

[4] Iipulanandan, ;. K DharmaraLan, "., ;ritical stress

[5] 4eis, 9.M.5. K 1erreira, A.9.M., !he influence of notch depth on the fracture mechanics properties of polymer concrete. )nternational %ournal o; Fracture, &*90&-*2, pp. ))A*%, %::). [6] 1erreira, A.9.M., !avares, ;.M. K 4ibeiro, M.;., 1lexural properties of polyester resin concretes. %ournal o;
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[7] 6l +awary,

M., Al 2haiat, +. K 1ereig, S., 6,ect of seawater on epoxy repaired concrete. .ement and .oncrete .omposites, 9&-6*0*+2, $887.

[8] 4ilem, !c .: fm. determination of the fracture parameters =k). and ctod. 2 of plain concrete using three point bend tests on notched beams. Materials and /tructures, *80&852, pp. *.0A*/:. [9] Shah, S.-. K ;arpinteri, A., Fracture Mec#anics Test Met#ods ;or .oncrete. ;hapman and +all@
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4ice, 9.4., A path independent integral and the approximate analysis of strain concentration by notches and cracks. % Appl Mec# Trans, 8,6-857, $8/7.

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4I56M-;%, !echnical ;omittee !; $$), Method of making polymer concrete and mortar specimens.

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