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Accurate determination of the compressive strength of very high second issue is to use cube specimens. The combination of
strength concrete is currently a difficult proposition due to large these solutions, however, effectively moves away from
testing machine capacity requirements and the need for cylinder standard practice in the concrete industry and raises concerns
end preparation. An experimental program was conducted to the about the accuracy and reliability of the test results.
determine whether alternate specimen types can be reliably used to
determine the compressive strength of an ultra-high-performance
Many studies going back over 80 years to Gonnerman5
fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) in the strength range from 80 to have investigated the relationship between various cylinder
200 MPa (11.6 to 29 ksi). Fifty-one, 76, and 102 mm (2, 3, and 4 in.) and cube sizes on the compressive strength of concrete. For
cylinders were tested alongside 51, 70.7, and 100 mm (2, 2.78, and standard concrete mixture designs at normal compressive
4 in.) cube specimens. The 76 mm (3 in.) cylinder as well as the strength levels, it is normally assumed that cubes will relate
70.7 and 102 mm (2.78 and 4 in.) cubes were found to be acceptable a higher compressive strength (up to 25%), but the difference
alternatives to the standard 102 mm (4 in.) cylinder specimen. The will decrease at increasing strength levels.4 When comparing
70.7 mm (2.78 in.) cube specimen is recommended for situations different sizes of specimens, researchers have demonstrated
where machine capacity and/or cylinder end preparation are of that, at normal strength levels, the smaller specimens tend to
concern. present higher compressive strengths. This result has been
theorized to be due to larger specimens having a greater
Keywords: compressive strength; cube; cylinder; ultra-high-performance
fiber-reinforced concrete.
likelihood of containing elements of low strength.4
There have been a series of research efforts in the last 25 years
INTRODUCTION focused on similar issues to those addressed in the current
The continued advancement of concrete technology and research effort with what would now be considered high-
the associated push to adapt advanced technology to production strength concrete. Papers by Nasser and Al-Manaseer6 and
processes has resulted in the initial uses of 205 MPa (30 ksi) Nasser and Kenyon7 pushed for an acceptance of the 76 mm
compressive strength concrete in the constructed environment.1,2 (3 in.) diameter cylinder as a standard compressive strength
Producing concretes of this strength level presents a set of specimen. Day8 compiled research results from 22 separate
challenges to the concrete industry, many of which can be studies to perform statistical analyses on the relationship
termed quality control/quality assurance issues. In North between 76, 102, and 152 mm (3, 4, and 6 in.) cylinders. Issa
America, cylinder compressive strength is widely used as a et al.9 investigated specimen size effects with 51 to 152 mm
proxy for any number of other concrete properties, in addition (2 to 6 in.) cylinders. Aïtcin et al.10 investigated cylinder
to its obvious role relating to the compressive strength of the strength results for concretes up to 120 MPa (17.5 ksi).
structural concrete. In the history of modern structural Mansur and Islam11 investigated the relationship between
concrete, compressive strength is one of the most, if not the cylinders and cubes of 100 and 150 mm (4 and 6 in.)
most, important property in terms of verifying acceptability minimum dimension and compressive strengths up to 100 MPa
of a wide range of concrete behaviors to a structure’s (14.5 ksi). The results of these investigations are generally
performance. Accurately and reliably verifying the similar in that the strength expressed by smaller cylinders and/
compressive strength of a 200 MPa (29 ksi) concrete, or cubes is expected to be slightly higher than the strength
however, can be a challenge in and of itself. expressed by the 152 mm (6 in.) diameter cylinder, and that
The two standard methods for determining the compressive strength differences will decrease at higher compressive
strength of concrete are the testing to failure of cylinder and strength levels.
cube specimens. National codes and specifications in North The present research effort is intended to extend the
America, France, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand define applicability of the previous research on this topic into the
the cylinder as the standard specimen, whereas much of the realm of the new advanced cementitious materials that have
remainder of Europe relies on the cube specimen.3,4 Around become commercially available in the last decade.12,13
the world, cube and cylinder specimens of varying sizes are These and other similar concretes are generally classified as
accepted as the standard representation of the compressive ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC),
strength of concrete in a structural member. with very high compressive strengths, usable pre- and post-
The two primary issues that arise regarding the extension cracking tensile strengths, and significantly improved
of standard concrete compression test methods to very high durability properties as compared with conventional concretes.
strength concretes are testing machine capacity and cylinder
end preparation. Barring the purchase of high load capacity ACI Materials Journal, V. 105, No. 6, November-December 2008.
MS No. M-2007-416 received December 21, 2007, and reviewed under Institute
testing machines, the simple solution to the first issue is to publication policies. Copyright © 2008, American Concrete Institute. All rights reserved,
use smaller specimens. Barring the purchase of expensive including the making of copies unless permission is obtained from the copyright proprietors.
Pertinent discussion including authors’ closure, if any, will be published in the September-
cylinder end grinding equipment, the simple solution to the October 2009 ACI Materials Journal if the discussion is received by June 1, 2009.
All supplemental curing conditions were initiated within Fig. 1. The batches have been arranged in this figure
30 hours of casting. according to their compressive strength, with the average
All compression tests were completed in a 4450 kN and the upper and lower 95% confidence interval of the
(1000 kip) compression testing machine. The cylinders compressive strength for each specimen type being shown.
were tested according to ASTM C39, except that the initial rate The compressive strengths covered (as observed from tests
of load application was increased to 1.0 MPa/second (150 psi/ of 102 mm [4 in.] cylinders) ranged from 80 to 200 MPa
second). The cubes were tested according to ASTM C109 (11.6 to 29.0 ksi).
with the same load rate modification. In all cases except one, A number of observations can be made based on these
six strength results were obtained for each specimen type from compressive strength results. First, the 70.7 and 51 mm
each batch of cylinders and cubes. The exception was the (2.78 and 2 in.) cubes tend to show similar strengths with all
51 mm (2 in.) cylinders in Batch QR, which only had five of their confidence intervals overlapping, and their strengths
strength results. tend to be at or above those exhibited by the other specimen
types. Second, the 102 and 76 mm (4 and 3 in.) cylinders also
TEST RESULTS AND ANALYSIS tend to show similar strengths with all except one of their
Compressive strength results confidence intervals overlapping. Finally, the 51 mm (2 in.)
The compressive strength results from the 503 cylinders cylinders tend to show similar or lower strengths as
and cubes tested in the study are presented in Tables 3 and 4. compared with all other specimen types.
The results from the 11 batches containing fiber reinforcement The coefficient of variation information presented in
are in Table 3, whereas the other three batches are in Table 4. Tables 3 and 4 and displayed in Fig. 2 are indicative of the
The results from all 14 batches are presented graphically in dispersion that was observed in the test results. The coefficients
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the results of this experimental investigation of
the compressive strength exhibited by various size cylinders
and cubes, the following conclusions are drawn:
1. The 102 mm (4 in.) diameter cylinders, 76 mm (3 in.)
diameter cylinders, and 100 mm (4 in.) cubes are acceptable
and interchangeable test specimens for the determination of
the compressive strength of UHPFRC;
2. The 70.7 mm (2.78 in.) cube is an acceptable alternative
specimen type for determination of UHPFRC compressive
strength in situations where testing machine capacity and/or
cylinder end preparation equipment limitations are
encountered. A factor of 0.96 should be applied to convert
Fig. 6—Comparison of 102 mm (4 in.) cylinder and 76 mm the cube strength result into an equivalent 76 mm (3 in.)
(3 in.) cylinder results. diameter cylinder result;
3. The 51 mm (2 in.) cylinders and cubes exhibit the
greatest strength variations and least correlation when
compared with 76 and 102 mm (3 and 4 in.) diameter
cylinder strength results. In particular, the 51 mm (2 in.)
cylinders exhibit a significantly increased coefficient of
variation; and
4. The exclusion of the fiber reinforcement from the
mixture design of UHPFRC may result in an increase in the
coefficient of variation of the compressive strength results.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research was funded by the Federal Highway Administration. The author
gratefully acknowledges this support. The publication of this article does not
necessarily indicate approval or endorsement of the findings, opinions,
Fig. 7—Comparison of 51 mm (2 in.) cylinder and 76 mm conclusions, or recommendations either inferred or specifically expressed
(3 in.) cylinder results. herein by the Federal Highway Administration or the U.S. Government.