Rock Joint Asperities and Mechanical Strength of Concrete

Abstract

Mechanical interactions between concrete foundations of large civil engineering structures (tunnels, bridges or dams) and the asperity surfaces of rock masses represent a useful topic for investigation. It is obvious that such large objects exert huge pressures on bedrocks and this might result in surprising variations of mechanical properties of the materials used in foundations. The present contribution evaluates possible changes of the compressive strength of concrete caused by the invasive acting of asperity-like needles penetrating into the volume of this material. The experimental arrangement simulates mechanical interactions between sharp asperities of bedrocks and the cement-based materials placed in the foundations of large civil engineering structures.