Evaluation of Dynamic Strength of Concrete from Results of Static Tests

The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the possibility to predetermine the strength of concrete at different strain rates and cyclic loading. Particular emphasis is placed on describing the method of estimating the dynamic strength of concrete from results of monotonic tests. One approach to solving this problem is based on making allowance for the kinetic nature of fracture, i.e., taking into account that the failure of building materials (metals, glasses, polymers, composites, etc.) under loading is not a critical event but rather is the result of a process of nucleation, accumulation, and the development of damage elements. At the atomic-molecular level, this process is controlled by events of breaking of interatomic bonds by thermal fluctuations. Comparing the given physically justified method with experiments shows that developed methods of diagnostics of dynamic characteristics are sufficiently accurate to make it possible to decrease the labor input of measurements, and do not require special and expensive equipment that is used for dynamic tests.