TENSILE STRENGTH

 Concrete is relatively strong in compression and weak in tension, therefore concrete is not
normally designed to resist direct tension. The knowledge of tensile strength is of value in
estimating the load under which cracking (due to diagonal tension) is develop. The absence
of cracking is considered as maintaining the continuity of concrete structure.
 However, tensile stresses are likely to develop in concrete due to drying shrinkage,
temperature gradients and many other reasons. Therefore, the knowledge of tensile strength
of concrete is of importance.
FLEXURAL STRENGTH (MODULUS OF RUPTURE) TEST
 Flexural strength test is done to determine the tensile load at which concrete may crack.
 It can be determined by beam (size :-150*150*700mm), which is subjected to flexure using
symmetrical two point loading or centre point loading until failure occurs.
 The theoretical maximum tensile stress reached in bottom fibre of the test beam is known as
modulus of rupture.
 In the central point loading, maximum fibre stress will come below the point of loading
where the bending moment is maximum. In case of symmetrical two point loading, the
critical crack may appear at any section, not strong enough to resist the stress within the
middle third, where the bending moment is maximum, because the probability of a weak
section being subjected to critical stress is considerably greater under two point loading than
when a central load acts.
 It can be expected that the two point loading will yield a lower value of the modulus of
rupture than the centre point loading also a more variable one, therefore centre point load test
is rarely used.

Principal load trajectory of three point loading

SPLIT TENSILE STRENGTH TEST