U.S.-Germany Cooperative Research on Strain Softening Response of High Strength Concrete

该奖项支持由Surendra P.Shah教授领导的西北大学NSF先进水泥基材料科学技术中心的成员与德国达姆施塔特理工学院土木工程系的成员合作，导演：格特·凯尼格教授。他们正在结合他们的资源和专业知识进行实验研究，以确定影响混凝土在单轴压缩和拉伸中应变软化响应的因素。该研究计划将达姆施塔特在大型结构测试和设计方面的专业知识与先进水泥基材料中心正在开发的材料科学知识相结合。混凝土技术的最新进展使制造抗压强度是普通强度混凝土两倍以上的混凝土成为可能。这种高强度混凝土在目前的建筑中被越来越多地使用，因为人们认为它具有有益的特性，但越来越多的证据表明，在某些情况下，它被不当使用。强度的提高在一定程度上是由于水泥基基质与混凝土中骨料之间粘结的改善。然而，这种改善的粘结使高强混凝土比普通混凝土更脆。人们对其失效机制知之甚少。不同的破坏机制导致不同的应变软化响应。更好地了解应变软化响应将有助于确定这种新材料的适当使用。

This award supports members of the NSF Science and Technology Center for Advanced Cement-Based Materials at Northwestern University, headed by Professor Surendra P. Shah, to collaborate with members of the Department of Civil Engineering of the Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, Germany, directed by Professor Gert Koenig. They are joining their resources and expertise in experimental research to determine the factors that influence the strain softening response of concrete in uniaxial compression and tension. The research plan combines the expertise of TH Darmstadt in large-scale structural testing and design with the knowledge of materials science being developed at the Center for Advanced Cement-Based Materials. Recent advances in concrete technology have made it possible to make concrete with compressive strength more than double that of normal strength concrete. This high strength concrete is used more and more in current construction, because of perceived beneficial characteristics, but there is growing evidence that it is being used improperly in some cases. The increased strength is due in part to an improved bond between the cement-based matrix and aggregate in concrete. However this improved bond makes the high strength concrete more brittle than normal concrete. The failure mechanisms are poorly understood. Different failure mechanisms result in different strain softening response. A better understanding of the strain softening response will help to define the appropriate use of this new material.