Failure of Lightweight Aggregate Concrete in Compression under Stress Gradients

The objective of this experiment is to investigate the behaviour of lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC) under compression and with stress gradients. Experimental program contained three sets of LWAC which were used for production of 21 prisms. Lightweight aggregate argillite slate, called Stalite, from North Carolina had been used. The sets differed in using dry (0.10% moisture content) or saturated (7.9% moisture content) aggregate. The third set included a small amount of polyvinyl alcohol fibres (PVA). The geometry of the prisms were 100 × 140 × 480 mm (width × length × height). Prismatic samples were loaded centrically and eccentrically in compression.

From the achieved experimental results, it is visible that the lateral deformation of the most stressed fibre is counteracted by the less stressed fibres that confine compressive stress and increase strains. The obtained strain level was much higher than expected, especially for the third set of concrete samples with PVA fibres. Recorded strains in prisms test was in range from 3.08‰ to 6.82‰). In general, LWAC with Stalite showed ductile behaviour followed with very high strains. The third set of samples included a small amount of polyvinyl alcohol fibres (0.5% of volume fractions) was even more ductile and non-brittle.