Slow Crack Growth in Cement Paste

Abstract

The dependence of crack velocity on stress intensity was measured in hardened cement paste. Fracture toughness, modulus of rupture, and dynamic elastic modulus were also measured to permit calculation of the time‐to‐failure (life expectancy) of stressed cement paste. The double torsion method was used for slow crack growth studies and fracture toughness measurements. Fracture toughness was also measured by a notched‐beam method; the agreement between the two methods was excellent. The crack‐velocity‐stress‐intensity curve for cement paste resembles that of glass in water. The slope of the log V ‐log K I curve is ∼35.