Dynamic splitting tensile properties of concrete and cement mortar

To investigate the dynamic tensile behaviours of concrete and cement mortar, a 50-mm split Hopkinson pressure bar was applied on Brazilian disc specimens for dynamic tensile experiments, in which strain rate varied from 10−5 to 20 s−1. The high-speed camera testing technique was used to capture the dynamic fractured process of the specimens at relative high strain rate. The experimental results revealed that the dynamic tensile strength of concrete specimens has a stronger strain rate effect than that of cement mortar specimens. Then three typical failure patterns of the specimens were confirmed in dynamic experiments. In addition, one-parameter semi-empirical relation between dynamic tensile strength and strain rate was established. Finally, the limitation of dynamic splitting experiments on Brazilian disc specimens was discussed in detail at high strain rate, in which the crack initiates from the contact point between the incident bar and specimens rather than the centre of the specimens.