Title No.

60-2

Correlation Between Tensile

Splitting Strength and Flexural
Strength of Concrete
By ISRAEL NARROW and ERIK ULLBERG

Data are presented which show the correlation between .flexural strength
of concrete beams and tensile splitting strength of concrete cylinders. The
concrete mixtures were made with a number of different aggregate types and
cements. Cement contents ranged from 41/2 to 7 bags per cu yd of con-
crete. Comparative cylinders and beam specimens were made from the
same concrete batches, and tested after moist curing for 7, 14, 28, and 90
days. The test results indicate that there is a good correlation between
the flexural strength of concrete beams and the tensile splitting strength
of concrete cylinders made from the same concrete. Data also are pre-
sented which show that the established correlation is suitable for deter-
mining flexural strength of concrete pavements from tensile splitting tests
of cores drilled from the pavements.
Key words: concrete; flexural strength; tensile splitting strength; pavement;
analysis

• AIRFIELD PAVEMENTS CONSTRUCTED for military use are evaluated to

determine load-carrying capacities and capability for handling different
types of aircraft. Evaluation is required for newly constructed pave-
ments, and for older pavements when strengthening of the pavements
is required or where there is a change in operation. The flexural strength
of the concrete must be determined, and it frequently has been necessary
to remove large slabs from the pavements to provide beam specimens
for flexural strength tests. The removal of pavement slabs, and sawing
and testing of large concrete beams, are time-consuming and costly
operations; and may interfere with the use of operational pavements.
Since the testing, generally, must be limited to a few slabs, variations
in test results frequently raise a question about the reliability of the
results.
In a search for new methods for evaluation of airfield pavements,
the tensile splitting test appeared to offer good possibilities for deter-
mining flexural strength of the concrete by testing cores drilled from
the pavements. The tensile splitting test method had been developed
independently by Carneiro 1 in Brazil, and by Akazawa 2 in Japan, around

27
28 jOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE January 1963

1953; and this test has been the sub-

ject of considerable study by others.
However, few data were available
for correlating tensile splitting
strength with flexural strength of
concrete; and it first was necessary
to investigate this relationship.
The test data for this study were
obtained in connection with rou-
tine concrete mix proportioning
studies for airfield pavement con-
struction projects. The concrete
mixtures included a variety of ag-
Fig. 1-Tensile splitting test specimen gregates and cements, with cement
in position for test contents ranging from 41/z to 7 bags
of cement per cu yd of concrete. Cylinders and beam specimens cast from
the concrete mixtures were moist cured until tested at 7, 14, 28, and 90
days. Altogether, about 1560 beams and 880 cylinders were tested in
this study. The test results are summarized herein, and the data have
been analyzed to determine the correlation between flexural strength
and tensile splitting strength of the concrete. Curves are included to
show the strength relationships.

TEST PROCEDURES
Flexural strength
The test specimens consisted of 6 x 6 x 21 in. concrete beams, cast
and cured in accordance with ASTM C 192. Flexural strength of the
specimens was determined by the third-point loading method in accord-
ance with ASTM C 78.
Tensile splitting strength
Specimens for tensile splitting tests were 6 x 12 in. concrete cylinders,
cast and cured in accordance with ASTM C 192. The test was con-
ducted by placing the specimen laterally between bearing blocks in a
compression machine. Hard-tempered, masonite strips, 2 in. wide by
lfs in. thick, were inserted between the bearing blocks and the specimen
to provide uniform load distribution. The specimens then were loaded
to failure, with the load applied at the rate of 30,000 lb per min. This
is equivalent to a unit tensile stress over the longitudinal section of the
cylinder of about 265 psi per min. The tensile splitting strength was
computed from the following equation which defines the theoretical
stress distribution for a homogeneous material: 3 •4
 TENSILE SPLITTING STRENGTH 29

ACI member Israel Narrow is Chief of the concrete laboratory, U. S. Army Engi-
neer Division, Ohio River, Corps of Engineers, Ohio River Division Laboratories,
Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Narrow has been with this laboratory organization since 1940.
He has been an ACI member since 1939 and is a member of ACI Committee 115,
Research.
Erik Ullberg is a Materials Engineer at the U. S. Army Engineer Ohio River Division
Laboratories, Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Ullberg has been employed by the Corps of
Engineers since 1931 and has been in the concrete laboratory since 1941.

where
T = tensile splitting strength, psi
P = load at rupture, lb
d = diameter of cylinder, in.
L = length of cylinder, in.
Fig. 1 and 2 show views of the test specimen during loading and after
loading to failure.

ANALYSIS OF DATA
To evaluate the relationships between flexural strength of the con-
crete beams and tensile splitting strength of the concrete cylinders, two
separate analyses of the test data" were made. Since several cylinders
and beams were cast from each batch of concrete, it was not possible
to compare individual test results; the strength relationships are based
on the average values for the groups of specimens from each batch.
Analysis 1
The first analysis was made to determine the effects of different ag-
gregate types, cement contents, and curing ages on the relationship
between tensile splitting strength and flexural strength of the concrete.
For this analysis, the test results
were separated into two main
groups in accordance with aggre-
gate type (crushed stone and un-
crushed gravel). Within these
groups, the data were tabulated
separately for the different test
ages and cement contents of the
concrete. The tabulated data were
analyzed to determine relation-
ships between flexural strength
and tensile splitting strength, and
uniformity characteristics of these
relationships. Summaries of the Fig. 2-Tensile splitting specimen after
average values for this analysis are test
30 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE January 1963

TABLE I -ANALYSIS OF FLEXURAL AND TENSILE SPLITTING STRENGTHS

OF CONCRETE (7-DAY TESTS)

Cement Tensile splitting

per Flexural strength, F strength, T

Aver~ge, I v• I Aver~ge, I
cuyd No. of No. of
(bags) speci- speci- Ratio
mens I PSI mens psi V* FIT V*
Crushed stone aggregate
--
4% 8 555 - 9 325 - 1.71 -
5 12 625 - 12 370 - 1.71 -
5 1h 9 650 - 9 425 - 1.54 -
6 24 655 - 9 410 - 1.60 -
6% 9 685 - 3 390 - 1.76 -
Total 62 - 42 - - -
Uncrushed gravel aggregate
5¥2 9 580 - 9 340 - 1.70 -
6 27 615 9.9 36 375 13.1 1.64 5.5
6% 9 625 - 9 395 - 1.59 -
Total 45 - 54 - - -
•v = coefficient of variation.

TABLE 2- ANALYSIS OF FLEXURAL AND TENSILE SPLITTING STRENGTHS

OF CONCRETE ( 14-DAY TESTS)
Tensile splitting
Cement Flexural strength, F strength, T
per
I Aver~ge, I
cu yd No. of No. of
(bags) speci- Average, speci- V* Ratio
mens I psi I v• mens psi FIT V*
Crushed stone aggregate
4% 8 635 - 9 370 - 1.72 -
5 77 655 10.7 36 425 8.9 1.54 11.0
5% 84 710 11.3 41 450 10.0 1.58 10.1
6 161 735 13.7 61 460 15.6 1.60 8.1
6% 39 740 11.4 22 480 6.5 1.54 12.9
Total 369 - 169 - -

Uncrushed gravel aggregate

5 88 680 4.9 30 420 13.8 1.62 11.5
51J2 36 630 7.0 36 405 9.9 1.55 5.8
6 160 700 9.4 105 440 12.5 1.59 11.9
61h 39 705 6.1 32 465 16.3 1.52 5.3
7 9 700 - 3 480 - 1.46 -
Total 332 - 206 - -
•v .. of vanation.
= coefficient
 TENSILE SPLITTING STRENGTH 31

shown in Tables 1, 2, 3, and 4; the strength relationships are graphically

illustrated in Fig. 3 and 4. Coefficients of variation were not computed
when the data represented less than four groups of comparative speci-
mens.
Fig. 3 shows the average flexural strengths corresponding to the aver-
age tensile splitting strengths for the crushed stone and uncrushed
gravel aggregates, based on the data tabulated in Tables 1 to 4. Fig. 4
shows the average flexural and tensile splitting strengths of the concrete
mixtures at 7, 14, 28, and 90 days, as taken from Tables 1 to 4.
The statistical analyses of the test results showed good uniformity
and consistent relationships between flexural strength and tensile split-
ting strength of the concrete for all conditions evaluated. The strength
relationship was not affected by the type of aggregate used, nor by age
of the concrete specimen when tested. However, there was an appreci-

1000

900
/'
(/)
a..
• UN- CRUSHED GRAVEL
·/
u.

:::r: 800
o CRUSHED STONE

0
;(a
:!
1-
(!)
z
w
0:::
1-
(/)

_J
<t
700
0
of:
l(·.
~

0:::

y. •
:::>
X
w
_J

v
u. 600

/
500
200 300 400 500 600 700

TENSILE SPLITT lNG STRENGTH (T), PSI

Fig. 3-Fiexural strength versus tensile splitting strength of concrete with crushed
stone and uncrushed gravel aggregate (Ana lysis I)
32 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE january 1963

TABLE 3-ANALYSIS OF FLEXURAL AND TENSILE SPLITTING STRENGTHS

OF CONCRETE (28-DAY TESTS}

Cement Tensile splitting

per Flexural strength, F strength, T
cuyd
(bags) No. of
speci-
mens
I Average,
psi
I V* ~~ci~
mens
I A ver~ge,
psi
I V*
Ratio
FIT V*
Crushed stone aggregate
41 h 9 640 - 7 390 - 1.69 -
5 86 705 3.1 42 480 13.3 1.48 6.1
5% 66 755 9.1 33 515 13.0 1.47 7.5
6 74 775 9.7 34 523 13.0 1.49 6.4
6% 30 805 6.1 21 570 9.6 1.42 7.8
Total 265
-----·
- 137 - -
Uncrushed gravel aggregate
5 87 695 8.9 28 445 14.6 1.59 6.3
5% 49 675 10.8 35 455 10.1 1.49 2.7
6 150 755 8.1 76 485 13.4 1.55 9.0
61!2 39 735 9.4 32 500 5.8 1.48 2.2
7 9 790 - 3 525 - 1.50 -
Total 334 - 174 - -
*V = coefficient of variation.

TABLE 4- ANALYSIS OF FLEXURAL AND TENSILE SPLITTING STRENGTHS

OF CONCRETE (90-DAY TESTS}
Tensile splitting
Cement Flexural strength, F strength, T
per
I Aver~ge, I v•
cuyd No. of No. of
(bags) speci-. Average, speci- Ratio
mens I psi V*I mens psi FIT V*
Crushed stone aggregate
4% 9 730 - 9 500 - 1.45 -
5 84 800 4.8 36 540 14.3 1.49 4.7
5% 54 820 6.9 32 560 8.6 1.50 8.7
6 75 810 10.7 30 530 10.2 1.53 7.2
61!2 24 830 5.2 15 590 5.8 1.41 12.8
Total 246 - 122 - -
Uncrushed gravel aggregate
5 89 830 9.3 29 565 15.6 1.49 9.4
5% 30 730 9.3 29 505 12.7 1.44 8.3
6 125 780 13.4 86 535 11.8 1.46 10.3
6% 15 870 9.3 13 590 8.9 1.47 2.7
7 9 865 - 3 610 - 1.42 -
Total 268 - 160 - -
•v = coefficient of variation.
 TENSILE SPLITTING STRENGTH 33

able reduction in the flexural to tensile strength ratio with increase

in tensile splitting strength of the concrete.
Analysis 2
Since the first analysis of the test data indicated that the relationship
between flexural strength and tensile splitting strength was not in-
fluenced by the composition of the concrete mix nor test age, the data
were again analyzed on the basis of strength alone. For this analysis,
the tensile splitting strengths were grouped in increasing strength
ranges of 25 psi and compared with the corresponding flexural strengths

900

800
-
/~
::r:
1-
(,!)
700

/r
z 600
w
n:
1-
C/)

~
-
500

400 I
v ~
TENSILE SPLITTING STRENGTH

v
300
0 7 14 28 90
AGE AT TEST, DAYS
Fig. 4-Fiexural and tensile splitting strengths in relation to test ages
34 jOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE january 1963

of the beam specimens. The average strengths and strength relationships

for this arrangement of the test data are tabulated in Table 5; the
strength relationships are graphically illustrated in Fig. 5 and 6. This
analysis also shows that there is a good correlation between flexural
strength and tensile splitting strength of the concrete. The similarity
between curves in Fig. 3 and 5 indicates that the strength relationship
is dependent only on the strength of the concrete and is not influenced
by composition of the concrete mix.

TABLE 5-ANALYSIS OF FLEXURAL AND TENSILE SPLITTING STRENGTHS

OF CONCRETE (ALL TESTS)
Tensile splitting strength, T Flexural strength, F
No. of No. of
Range, speci- Average, speci- Aver<;tge, I Ratio
psi mens V* V*
psi mens
I ps1 FIT
275-300 12 290 11 550 7.6 1.88 8.5
301-325 9 320 8 545 - 1.70 -
326-350 21 340 45 595 4.5 1.75 8.0
351-375 42 365 50 615 8.2 1.68 9.5
376-400 62 390 85 640 4.5 1.64 5.9
401-425 104 415 206 660 8.0 1.60 7.5
426-450 123 440 235 695 6.8 1.57 5.7
451-475 100 465 179 720 8.0 1.55 7.1
476-500 115 485 275 740 8.0 1.52 7.2
501-525 94 515 158 765 7.3 1.49 4.0
526-550 54 540 93 795 10.1 1.47 10.2
551-575 45 560 66 810 5.1 1.44 5.6
576-600 30 585 45 835 3.1 1.43 4.9
601-625 36 610 66 860 7.3 1.41 7.4
626-650 32 635 57 890 4.7 1.41 3.1
651-685 15 670 39 925 5.2 1.38 9.4
Total 882 - 1568 - - - -
*V
..
= coefficient of vanatwn.

TABLE 6 - FLEXURAL AND TENSILE SPLITTING STRENGTHS OF FIELD

CONCRETE SPECIMENS
Tensile splitting strength, T Flexural strength, F
Slab No. I Ratio
No. psi V* No. psi FIT
I I
CAFB-1 10 455 15 3 575 1.26
2 8 445 15 3 595 1.34
DAFB-1 3 385 - 2 595 1.55
RAFB-1 5 420 8 3 580 1.38
2 6 490 12 3 745 1.52
3 6 440 4 3 710 1.61
4 6 445 8 3 675 1.52
5 6 365 11 2 610 1.67
6 6 470 19 3 675 1.44
7 6 415 9 3 635 1.53
*V = coefficient of variation.
 TENSILE SPLITTING STRENGTH 35

FIELD TESTS
A few tests have been made to determine the correlation between ten-
sile splitting strength and flexural strength of concrete specimens taken
from airfield pavement slabs. The test specimens were 6-in. diameter by
12-in. long cores drilled with a diamond core drill, and 6-in. beams sawed
with a diamond saw blade. The test procedures were the same as used
for the laboratory-prepared specimens. A summary of the test data is
presented in Table 6. Although the test data are quite limited the results
generally are in good agreement with the tests of the laboratory-prepared
specimens.

1000

/
(/)
a..
.
900

L
v
lL..

::c
I-
800

v
(!)
z
w /
a:: 700
I-
(/)

_J
<l
a::
/
v
v
::::>
X 600
w
_J
lL..

500
/
400
200 300 400 500 600 700
TENSILE SPLITT lNG STRENGTH (T), PSI

Fig. 5-Fiexural strength versus tensile splitting strength of concrete (Analysis 2)

36 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE January 1963

Additional data on tensile splitting strength of concrete cores drilled

from a number of airfield pavements are presented in Table 7. These
cores were approximately 6 in. in diameter, and were removed from the
pavements with diamond-core drills. The test specimens generally were
about 12 in. long, but a small percentage ranged down to about 9 in.
in length. Table 7 shows a comparison of the flexural strengths com-
puted from the tensile splitting strengths with the flexural strengths
obtained from field control tests of molded beam specimens. The good
agreement between the computed flexural strengths and the flexural
strengths obtai:t.ed in the field control tests indicates that the tensile

1.90
0

\
~
~ 1.80 \
0
.....
<[
a::
:I: 1.70
\
\
.....
(!)
z
w
a::
.....
en 1.60 1\.

~
w
__.
en
z
w
..... 1.50

~
__.
<[
a::
::l
X
w ~0
__. 1.40
LL. ~

1.30
200 300 400 500 600 700

TENSILE SPLITTING STRENGTH (T), PSI

Fig. 6-Fiexural-tensile strength ratio versus tensile splitting strength (Analysis 2)
 TENSILE SPLITTING STRENGTH 37

TABLE 7-TENSILE SPLITTING STRENGTHS OF FIELD CONCRETE SPECIMENS

Flexural strength, psi
Tensile splitting strength
Field
Project No. psi V* Computedt control tests
SEL-AFB 28 400 15 650 855
KIN-AFB 32 465 18 715 825
SAW-AFB 29 405 17 655 700
WP-AFB 40 515 17 765 760
DON-AFB 20 460 9 710 700
CHA-AFB 20 500 14 750 740
FOR-AFB 10 470 10 720 720
BER-AFB 9 435 9 680 650
CS-AFB-1 4 520 - 770 775
CS-AFB-2 3 435 - 680 700
..
*V = coefficient of variatiOn .
tFig. 5.

splitting test of drilled cores is suitable for determining flexural strength

of concrete in pavements.

CONCLUSIONS
1. This study shows that there is a consistent relationship between
flexural strength and tensile splitting strength of concrete.
2. The flexural to tensile splitting strength ratio is not a single value,
but varies inversely with the strength of the concrete.
3. Fig. 5 and 6 show the correlation between flexural strength and
tensile splitting strength for tests conducted in accordance with the
procedures outlined.
4. The tensile splitting test is useful for determining flexural strength
of concrete in pavements.

REFERENCES
1. Carniero, F. L. L. B., and Barcellos, A., "Concrete Tensile Strength," Bulle-
tin No. 13, International Association of Testing and Research Laboratories for
Materials and Structures, Mar. 1953.
2. Akazawa, T., "Tension Test Method for Concrete," Bulletin No. 16, Inter-
national Association of Testing and Research Laboratories for Materials and
Structures, Nov. 1953.
3. Frocht, M. M., Photoelasticity, V. II, John Wiley and Sons, New York, N. Y.,
1948.
4. Timoshenko, S., and Goodier, J. N., Theory of Elasticity, 2nd Edition, Mc-
Graw-Hill Book Co., Inc., New York, N.Y., 1951.
5. ASTM Committee E-1, Manual on Presentation of Data, American Society
for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, Pa., Feb. 1949.

Recerved by the Institute Dec. 14, 1961. Title No. 60-2 is a part of copyrighted Journa I of the
American Concrete Institute, Proceedings V. 60, No. 1, Jan. 1963. Separate prints are available
at 50 cents each.

American Concrete Institute, P. 0. Box 4754, Redford Station, Detroit 19, Mich.
38 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE January 1963

Discussion of this paper should reach ACI headquarters in triplicate

by Apr. 1, 1963, for publication in the September 1963 JOURNAL.

Sinopsis- R;sum;s- Zusammenfassung

Correlacion entre Ia Resistencia Ia Tension
(Ensaye Brasileno) y Ia Resistencia a Ia Flexion del Concreto
Se presentan datos que muestran la correlacion entre la resistencia a flexion de
vigas de concreto y la resistencia a tension de cilindros de concreto. Las mezclas
de concreto fueron hechas con tipos diferentes de agregados y cementos. El
contenido de cementa vario de 4% a 7 sacos por yarda cubica de concreto. Los
cilindros de prueba y especimenes de vigas se hicieron de las mismas ollas y se
ensayaron despues de un curado humedo de 7, 14, 28 y 90 dias. Los resultados
indican que hay una estrecha correlacion entre la resistencia a flexion de vigas
de concreto y la resistencia a tension de cilindros hechos del mismo concreto. Se
presentan datos que muestran que la correlaci6n establecida es apropiada para
determinar la resistencia a flexion de pavimentos de concreto por medio de
ensayes en tension de nucleos perforados de los mismos pavimentos.

La Correlation entre Ia Resistance a I'Eclatement sous

Traction et Ia Resistance Flexurelle du Beton
On presente des donnees qui montrent la correlation entre la resistance
flexurelle de poutres en beton et la resistance a l'eclatement sous traction de
cylindres en beton. Les melanges de beton comprenaient un nombre de types
divers d'agregats et de ciments. Les teneurs en ciment variaient entre 4lfz et 7
sacs par yard carre de beton. On a coule des echantillons comparatives de cylin-
dres et de poutres, a partir des memes lots de beton, pour les essayer apres un
durcissement humide de 7, 14, 28, et 90 jours. Les resultats des essais ont montre
qu'il y a une bonne correlation entre la resistance flexurelle de poutres en beton
et la resistance a l'eclatement sous traction de cylindres en beton venant de la
meme coulee. On presente egalement des donnees montrant que la correlation
etablie entre ces parametres est valable pour la determination de la resistance
flexurelle de pavements en beton, a partir d'essais de l'eclatement sous tension
pratiques sur des carottes prises dans le pavement.

Die Wechselbeziehung zwischen Spaltzugfestigkeit

und Biegefestigkeit von Beton
Es werden Daten gegeben, welche die Wechselbeziehung zwischen Biegefestig-
keit von Betontragern und Spaltzugfestigkeit von Betonzylindern zeigen. Die
Betonmischungen wurden mit verschiedenen Arten von Zuschlagstoffen und
Zementen hergestellt. Der Zementgehalt betrug von 41/z his 7 Sacken pro cu yd
Beton (W/Z = 0.45 bis 0.70). Es wurden Vergleichszylinder und Trager von der
gleichen Zementmischung hergestellt und nach einer Nassbehandlung von 7, 14,
28 und 90 Tagen gepri.ift. Die Testergebnisse zeigen, dass eine gute Wechsel-
beziehungbesteht zwischen der Biegefestigkeit von Betontragern und der Spalt-
zugfestigkeit von Betonzylindern, welche aus dem gleichen Beton gemacht
sind. Es werden auch Daten angegeben, welche zeigen, dass die festgestellte
Wechselbeziehung geeignet ist zur Bestimmung der Biegefestigkeit von Beton-
strassendecken durch Spaltversuche von Kernen, welche aus den Strassendecken
herausgebohrt werden.