One of the important causes of cracks in concrete dams operating in sub- arctic regions is the seasonal temperature variation, where the difference in temperature may be as high as 70 °C with minimum temperature reaching -40 °C. Cracks usually…
One of the important causes of cracks in concrete dams operating in sub- arctic regions is the seasonal temperature variation, where the difference in temperature may be as high as 70 °C with minimum temperature reaching -40 °C. Cracks usually occur due to the weak preparation of the horizontal interface between two successive lifts of concrete, or when the interval between lifts is longer than necessary. In order to measure the strength .of joints and interfaces between concrete materials under severe thermal conditions, a large scale experimental program has been implemented at the University of Manitoba, Canada. This program is intended to identify the strength of the rather weak concrete interface with and without repairing material using fracture mechanics concepts. The fracture parameters are extracted for the specimens tested at low temperature as well as room temperature.