Effect of the Mechanical Fracture Parameters of Inclusion on Fracture Behaviour of Cement Composite

Abstract

This paper concerns the results of research into the effect of the mechanical fracture parame- ters of inclusion material on the fracture response of specially designed cement-based composite speci- mens. These specimens of the nominal dimensions 40 × 40 × 160 mm with inclusion in the shape of prisms with nominal dimensions of 8 × 8 × 40 mm were pro- vided with an initial central edge notch and tested in the threee-point bending configuration. The aim of this paper is to analyse the effect of the mechanical fracture parameters of inclusions material on the ef- fective mechanical fracture parameters of cement-based composite. The results of this research indicate the de- pendence of the effective mechanical fracture parame- ters of cement-based composite on the Young’s modulus of inclusion material.