Experimental investigation of mode-I fracture toughness of real-cracked concrete repaired by epoxy

Abstract This paper presents the behavior of fracture mechanics and fracture properties of epoxy-repaired concrete in Mode I fracture. A single-edged notch (SEN) beam in a three-point bending test was conducted to evaluate the fracture properties of plain concrete and the repaired of itself. The testing methods recommended by RILEM: (a) two-parameter model by Jenq and Shah and (b) fictitious model by Hillerborg were used to determine the fracture toughness and fracture energy, respectively. Epoxy mortars with four fine sand contents were used to repair concrete crack with various widths. The test results revealed that epoxy resin and mortar improve the fracture toughness and fracture energy of the repaired concrete. And, the both are increasing with the increase of the fine sand content in epoxy mortar up to the amount that the workability being allowed. The Mode I fracture behavior of the repaired concrete performs higher fracture resistance and more ductile than plain concrete.