Progress on testing of mechanical properties of cement-based materials - Extended Round Robin Test of COST Action TU1404

Abstract

The Extended Round Robin Testing program (RRT+) of COST ACTION TU1404 is the main activity within Working Group 1 (WG 1): Testing of cement-based materials (CBMs). In its main phase that is currently under way, the RRT+ program is divided into six group priorities, among which group priority 1d (GP1d) deals with mechanical properties and creep of CBMs across several scales – hardened cement paste, mortar and concrete. One of the aims of the RRT+ as a whole is to extensively characterize a set of predefined CBM’s and support the development and validation of material models in WG2 - modelling and benchmarking. After six months of development of the Main Phase of RRT+ , results of 13 laboratories are available for analyses in the scope of GP1d. In this paper we focus on the correlation between compressive strength of concrete and corresponding mortar and hardened cement paste, and on the reproducibility of unloading modulus of elasticity of concrete in compression. Among advanced testing methods of GP1d we present the results of EMM-ARM method, which enables continuous measurement of elasticity modulus of CBMs after casting.