The objective of this study is to examine the fracture characteristics of concrete at early ages such as critical stress intensity factor, critical crack-tip opening displacement, fracture energy, and bilinear softening curve based on the concepts of the effective-elastic crack model and the cohesive crack model.
A wedge splitting test for Mode I was performed on cubic wedge specimens with a notch at the edge. By varying strength and age, load-crack mouth opening displacement curves were obtained and the results were analyzed by linear elastic fracture mechanics and the finite element method.
The results from the test and analysis showed that critical stress intensity factor and fracture energy increased, and critical crack-tip opening displacement decreased with concrete age from 1 day to 28 days. By numerical analysis, four parameters of bilinear softening curve from 1 day to 28 days were obtained. The obtained fracture parameters and bilinear softening curves at early ages may be used as a fracture criterion and an input data for finite element analysis of concrete at early ages.
