An Experimental Investigation on Mode-II Fracture of Light Weight Pumice Aggregate Concrete

Consequently, structures designed with high strength materials have low margins of safety. But the service stresses with aggressive environment may be high enough to induce cracks, particularly if preexisting flaws or high stress concentrations are present. The high strength materials have a low crack resistance (fracture toughness). The residual strength under the presence of cracks is low. When small cracks exist, structures designed with high strength materials may fail at stresses below the highest service stress that they are designed. The occurrence of low stress fractures in high strength materials induced the development of fracture mechanics. Fracture mechanics is a method of characterizing the fracture behavior in terms of structural parameters that can be easily understood by the engineer i.e. Stresses, crack size etc. Fracture mechanics can deliver the methodology to compensate the inadequacies of conventional design concepts. The conventional design criteria are adequate for many engineering structures, but they are insufficient when there is the likelihood of cracks. Now the fracture mechanics has become a useful tool in the design with high strength materials.