Tensile creep of cement and concrete composites: Monitoring by means of 2D-digital image correlation

Abstract

Creep and shrinkage of Cement and Concrete Composites (CCC) are significant properties that need to be considered to use these materials in practice. Many previous scientific studies revealed CCC creep characteristics under sustained compression and shrinkage, using traditional test methods from design standards. Because of the complexity of experimental procedures, CCC creep in tension has not been studied as close. Furthermore, there is no unified standard that proposes applicable testing methods or specific testing apparatus. This study examines the suitability of 2D—Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to observe the creep deformations of specimens under tension. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) mortar with 1% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibres has been investigated in the research. Compact tension (CT) specimens 150 × 150 × 12 mm (with a notch) were used. Creep deformations under sustained uniaxial tension (applied loading corresponding to 60% of the ultimate strength) were measured. DIC images were captured using an entry/mid-level DSLR camera. Results show that DIC is suitable for studying uniaxial tensile creep of cement and concrete composites. Deformation of specimens in tension was similar to that measured using the conventional method (using surface-attached gauges).