Specification for Determinate Panel Test

for inclusion in RTA Spec. B82 Shotcrete

This specification describes the production, curing, and testing of round determinately
supported sprayed fibre reinforced concrete panels. Such panels are to be used to quantify
the post-cracking mechanical performance (also known as toughness or dztctili@) of
concrete used in sprayed linings. The suitability of a particular sprayed concrete mix shall
be assessed by measuring the amount of energy that can be absorbed by a panel when
centrally loaded. A mix may only be deemed acceptable if the energy absorbed in causing
a central deflection of 40 mm exceeds 375 Joules. .

Panels shall be used to quantify performance during the process of development of a mix
design. Comparative beam tests shall be undertaken using the same mixes as for the
panels, and beams only can be used during production testing to maintain quality control.
However, panels may also be used for the purpose of quality control if preferred. A
minimum of three beams must be tested to produce one averaged result, and a minimum
of one panel may be used for the same purpose.

This specification comprises fives parts covering the following aspects of panel
production and testing:

1. Forrnwork
2. Spraying
3. Design of Test Apparatus
4. Testing of Panels
5. Reporting of Results

1.0 Formwork

.l Forms shall consist of 800 mm diameter round melamine-coated formply screwed to

wooden stiffeners arranged in a square. Strip metal sheeting of appropriate width shall
be wrapped around the form and securely fastened to form the sides of the sprayed
panel (see Fig. 1). The sheeting must be thick enough to resist both impacts with
sprayed concrete and screeding. Zincalume-coated steel strip of 0.6 mm thickness is
recommended. The formply shall be at least 17 mm thick, but it is recommended that .
25 mm ply be used to improve the flatness of the underside of the specimen. The
stiffeners shall consist of rectangular pine members at least 70x35 mm in section, free
from twist, bow, or warping. The stiffeners are intended to assist in preventing
distortion of the panel under the weight of the plastic concrete and must therefore be
 screwed firmly together and to the underside of the ply to form a level square
measuring about 600x600 mm.

1.2 The width of the steel strip must be selected and fastened to the ply so that the
completed inside depth of the form is 75 mm. Depending on the smoothness of the cut
on the periphery of the ply, silicone sealant may be required to prevent loss of
concrete at the join. Coating the form with release agent prior to spraying can assist in
stripping. Re-application after stripping and cleaning can also extend the life of forms.
Do not use a form that is damaged or produces a panel with a rough or distorted
underside since production of uneven surfaces can reduce the apparent toughness of a
panel.

heet steel stri Wooden stiffeners

Topside Underside

Fig. 1. Round forms for production of panels, made of formply,

sheet steel, and wooden stiffeners.

2.0 Spraying of Panels

2.1 Panels are to be sprayed in the same position as the concrete used in the structure.
Vertical linings must, therefore, be represented by panels propped and sprayed against
a wall. The panels should be sprayed over-thick (say, 100 mm thick) and later
screeded using a steel trowel to a uniform thickness, To ensure uniformity of
performance, the same screeding procedure should be used for each panel. The panels
are intended to represent the performance of the concrete as it occurs in the structure.
They must therefore be sprayed by the same nozzleman that carries out the spraying
of the member under construction, using the same mix and spraying procedure.
Sprayed panels must not be moved until hardened, which ordinarily will require one
day.

2.2 Once a panel has been sprayed, it should be screeded in place to produce an even
surface and uniform thickness of 75 mm. If the panel is to be used for quality control,
 it should then be left to harden for a period of 3 days adjacevlt to thefluished structure
to ensure that initial curing is representative of curing conditions on site. Only after
this time has elapsed can the panel be stripped and transferred to a laboratory for
further curing and testing. If the panel is to be used as part of the development of a
mix design, all panels and beams are to be cured under identical conditions. It is
recommended that panels and beams be cured immersed in water at 23+2”C to
achieve uniform hydration.

3.0 Design of Test Apparatus

3.1 Round panels must be supported on three freely rotating pivots to achieve determinate
support. These pivots must be arranged at 120” to each other and all points must lie on
a diameter of 750 mm. They must be prevented from moving horizontally because
this will effect a change in support diameter during a test. The centre of the specimen
must be concentric with the centre of the support points during a test. The space under
the centre of the panel, and between the supports, must be free of obstructions to
prevent contact between segments of the failing panel and any potential additional
points of support. A design for a suitable test rig is shown in Fig. 2, although other
designs may be satisfactory. Whatever design is used must provide support to a panel
in accordance with the arrangement depicted in Fig. 3.

Pivoted support _
points with steel
bearing plates at
750 mm diameter

Fig. 2. Typical test fixture for determinate panel test.

 Fig. 3. Arrangement of pivots for support of panels.

A suggested design for a supporting apparatus that may be placed within a universal
testing machine is given in Fig. 4. A suggested design for the pivot points is given in Fig.
5. These shall be made of steel and must be capable of rotating freely in response to
rotation of failed portions of a panel during a test.
 Fig. 4. Plan and elevation of a welded steel support rig for determinate panels

Transfer plate with spherical seat to

accommodate rotation about pivot ball
I I

Inclined base to allow .

16 or 20 mm diameter
for large deflection of
steel pivot ball

Fig. 5. Suggested configuration for pivoted panel support units.

3.2 The loading fixture shall consist of a round steel piston of 100 mm diameter and 100
rmn spherical radius (Fig. 6). The objective in using a spherical surface to contact the
specimen is to induce failure near the centre of the panel regardless of irregularities in
the surface. A blunt-ended loading ram has been found to result in irregular failure
patterns.
 Fig. 6. Loading piston with spherical contact surface.

3.3 Tests must be conducted in a machine that incorporates automatic servo-control of the
rate of displacement A test must be executed without intervention or disturbance
from operators.

3.4 Direct measurement of deflection in a panel is difficult because the loading piston
obstructs the centre of the panel on the loaded surface, and some crack patterns may
cause a displacement transducer to ‘fall into’ an opening crack on the tensile face
resulting in an invalid test. It is therefore recommended that the displacement of the
loading piston be taken to represent the deflection of the centre of the panel. However,
this can lead to an under-estimate of energy absorption when significant elastic
deformation occurs in the load frame during a test. The load frame and supporting
fixtures for the panel must therefore be as stiff as possible to minimise this error.

Note: For both electro-mechanical and hydraulic test systems in which

deflection is measured using a transducer inside the actuator or cross-
head, system st@kess can be determined by measuring the central
dejlectiou2 of the parcel relative to the supports, ar2d comparlrzg this to the
indicated deflection of the actuator. The deflection of the supporting
fixtures shall not be deductedfiom the indicated dejection of the loading
mechanism to arrive at a ‘corrected’panel deflection.

4.1 Tests shall be performed by imposing a central point load on a panel at a controlled
rate of displacement as the panel rests symmetrically on the three pivots. The rate of
displacement shall be 5.0 mm/min. Load and displacement are to be recorded at
increments of displacement no greater than 0.1 mm, up to a total central displacement
of 40 mm, Displacement may be continued beyond this point to examine advanced
behaviour, but the load-displacement history of the specimen beyond 40 mm shall not
be used to calculate performance parameters.

4.2 A test result shall be ignored if any part of a failing panel comes into contact with any
part of the support frame, or any other potential point of support, before a central
displacement of 40 mm is achieved.

4.3 The load-displacement record shall be used to calculate two numerical performance
parameters that shall define the performance of a concrete mix. The first is the peak .
load reached during the test, to be reported in Newtons. The second is the energy
absorbed by the failing specimen up to a central displacement of 40 mm. This can be
determined by integrating the area under the load-displacement curve between the
point representing the start of loading and the point representing a central
displacement of 40 mm in the specimen. The point representing the start of loading
can be found from the intercept of the elastic portion of the loading curve and the
displacement axis, shown in Fig. 7. Energy absorption is to be reported in units of
Joules (represented by the symbol J, also known as Newton-metres, or Nm). The
integral of the load-displacement curve will yield a value in Joules if the load is
measured in Newtons and the displacement in metres, or if the load is measured in
kiloNewtons and the displacemerlt in millimetres. Integration may be carried out
using Simpson’s rule or any other recognised method of nrumerical or graphical
integration. The unit of displacement used may be either metres or millimetres,
provided it is clearly indicated in the results and on the graph axis.

Note: Under-e’stimates of energy absorption can result j-om a number of

causes. A rough surface to the panel can cause in a broad and
gradual loading ramp prior to failure of the concrete matrix. This
ramp may make it dlfjcult to distinguish the point at which loading is
be taken to start, possibly leading to under-estimates of energy
absorption at the tail of the curve Similarly, bumps on the surface of
the panel, either under the 1oadingJixture or over the pivot points,
may crush during a test resulting in tfalse peaks’ in the load-
displacement record and under-estimated energy absorption at the tail
of the curve.

Central Displacement (m)

Fig. 7. Determination of start of loading from load-displacement record.

4.4 Energy absorbing capacity is approximately linearly related to panel thickness, and
thin panels will produce lower values than thick panels. Energy absorption can be
linearly scaled to correct for discrepancies in mean thickness provided the mean
thickness is within the range 75 rt 5 mm. Mean thickness shall be determined from six
measurements of thickness, three of which must be taken at the edge of the panel and
three near the centre after failure. Measurement locations must be adjacent to the
cracks that form during a test and must be selected so as to obtain a true
representation of the mean thickness of the specimen. Energy-absorbing capacity will
also increase with panel diameter. The mean diameter, obtained from three
measurements taken at 60” angles, must not exceed 8 10 mm.

4.5 Although three pivots are provided to a panel, and most tests result in three radial
cracks, occasional panels fail in a beam-like mode with just one crack running across
the underside. These specimens result in very low estimates of performance and can
be discounted.

5.0 Reporting of Results

The following results for a panel test are to be reported:

1. Specimen identification.
2. Location, time, and date of spraying, and name of nozzleman.
3. Curing conditions, and age at testing
4. Identification of testing laboratory
5. Six measured thicknesses, three measured diameters, and means (in mm)
6. Load-displacement curve as recorded during test (optional)
7. Peak load achieved (in Newtons)
8. Energy absorption up to 40 mm central specimen deflection (in Joules)
9. Number of radial cracks formed during test