Fracture response characteristics on model I of rock-concrete interface with different lithologies after heat treatment

Abstract

Studying the fracture behavior of rock-concrete interface (RCI) of various lithologies under temperature and loading is crucial for the safety of structural systems involving these interfaces. In this study, the implications of temperature and interface strength factor (ISF) on the fracture mechanics of rock-concrete composite specimens with varying lithologies were studied using three-point bending numerical experiments with rock-concrete bi-material (RCB) notched semi-circular bending (NSCB) specimens. The findings indicate that the fracture toughness (K_IC) and fracture energy (G_f) of RCI with various lithologies are negatively correlated with temperature, and SCI is most significantly affected by temperature. Meanwhile, at higher temperatures, the K_IC and G_f of RCI exhibited lower sensitivity to the ISF, indicating that the failure of the specimen was driven by thermal effects. Furthermore, the length of the fracture process zone (r_c) of the RCB specimens of varying lithologies exhibited a linear increasing trend with increasing temperature. This phenomenon indicates a transition from brittle to ductile materials. This study provides critical insights for ensuring the long-term safety and enhancing the disaster resilience of major infrastructure in extreme environments.

Keywords

rock-concrete interface / dynamic fracture toughness / fracture energy / fracture process zone / thermal-mechanical coupling

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