Linear Numerical Stress Analysis of Concrete Specimens under Different Direct Tension Test Setups

Tensile strength is one of the basic and important mechanical properties of concrete. The measurement of the tensile strength of concrete is not easy. This is because this property of concrete is dependent on the different test setups that must be used. Indirect methods have been used hitherto to measure tensile strength of concrete. These methods though widely accepted, do not provide the true tensile strength of concrete in comparison with direct methods. According to this, the present study focuses on the analytical and experimental investigation of the prismatic concrete specimens under direct tension test setups. In this paper, different test setups were studied to produce a more uniform tensile stress distribution and minimize stress concentration at both ends of the concrete specimens with normal compressive strength. ABAQUS software was employed to carry out the finite element analysis of the concrete specimens under direct tension test setups.