Stress-Strain Relationship of Frost-Damaged Concrete Subjected to Fatigue Loading

Abstract

This study attempted to develop a model for the stress-strain relationship in compression of frost-damaged concrete subjected to fatigue loading. Concrete specimens were prepared and exposed to freeze-thaw cycles followed by application of static and fatigue loading. The strains induced during the freeze-thaw test were carefully measured as well as during a mechanical loading test. It was found that the static strength and the fatigue life of concrete decreases as increasing irreversible tensile strain was induced by frost action. A stress-strain model for frost-damaged concrete under application of static and fatigue loading based on the degradation of initial stiffness caused by frost damage was presented. The degradation of initial stiffness for damaged concrete was empirically formulated as a function of remaining expansion caused by freeze-thaw cycles. The plastic strain under the application of mechanical static and fatigue loading for frost-damaged concrete is higher than that for original concrete. Therefore, plastic strain for damaged concrete was formulated as not only the function of strain level under mechanical loading, but also the function of irreversible strain caused by frost action. The unloading and reloading stiffness factors were introduced to explain the change of stiffness as increasing the number of loading cycles by considering the effect of the degree of frost damage.