Influence of the chevron notch type on the values of fracture energy evaluated on alkali-activated concrete

Abstract

The influence of the notch type on the fracture mechanical parameters (FMP) of alkali-activated concrete (AAC) were presented based on a numerical and experimental study. In the study, the effects of the various notch types on the material's response, a straight-through and a chevron notch, were analysed. The local fracture process was analysed by the numerically generated stress distribution around the notch tip, while the general material's response to the applied load was studied by the experimentally recorded load displacement (P-delta) diagrams. It was observed that the differences in the experimentally obtained results for each studied notch type were rather minor. Similarly, the notch type has only a minor influence on the evaluated material's FMPs, such as the values of the size-independent fracture energy.