Validation of Performance-Dependent Failure Criterion for Concretes

Abstract

This paper focuses on the reformulation of the internal functions of the performance-dependent failure criterion (PDFC) for concrete, proposed by the authors, and its validation for different concrete qualities and stress states. The PDFC predicts the maximum strengths of plain concretes characterized by uniaxial compressive strengths in the range of 20 to 120 MPa (2901 to 17,405 psi). Concrete performance in this criterion is defined in terms of four material features. Supported on an extensive experimental database, they are reformulated in this work as a function of the two parameters that most effectively describe the involved concrete quality: fc′ and the so-called concrete performance parameter. The objective definition of the involved concrete quality by means of these two fundamental material parameters is also demonstrated. The numerical validation analysis in this paper illustrates the capabilities of the PDFC—when the internal functions as described in this work are considered—to predict the maximum strength properties of concretes of different qualities. Moreover, as the experimental data considered in this analysis include biaxial and triaxial test results on concrete specimens that involve a wide spectrum of confining pressures and stress meridians, the results in this work not only demonstrate the accuracy of the PDFC dependent functions on all three stress invariants, but also their variations with the involved quality.