Size-Effect Testing of Cohesive Fracture Parameters and Nonuniqueness of Work-of-Fracture Method

The cohesive crack model has been widely accepted as the best compromise for the analysis of fracture of concrete and other quasibrittle materials. The softening stress-separation law of this model is now believed to be best described as a bilinear curve characterized by four parameters: the initial and total fracture energies G_f and G_F, the tensile strength f_t^', and the knee-point ordinate σ₁. The classical work-of-fracture test of a notched beam of one size can deliver a clear result only for G_F. Here it is shown computationally that the same complete load-deflection curve can be closely approximated with stress-separation curves in which the f_t^' values differ by 77% and G_f values by 68%. It follows that the work-of-fracture test alone cannot provide an unambiguous basis for quasibrittle fracture analysis. It is found, however, that if this test is supplemented by size-effect testing, all four cohesive crack model parameters can be precisely identified and the fracture analysis of structures becomes unambiguous. It is shown computationally that size-effect tests do not suffice for determining G_F and f_t^', which indicates that they provide a sufficient basis for computing neither the postpeak softening of fracturing structures nor the peak loads of a very large structure. However, if the size-effect tests are supplemented by one complete softening load-deflection curve of a notched specimen, an unambiguous calculation of peak loads and postpeak response of structures becomes possible. To this end, the notched specimen tests must be conducted in a certain size range, whose optimum is here established by extending a previous analysis. Combination of the work-of-fracture and size-effect testing could be avoided only if the ratios G_F/G_f and σ₁/f_t^' were known a priori, but unfortunately their estimates are far too uncertain.