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Title: Experimental Investigation of Concrete Fatigue in Axial Compression

Author(s): Somashekar Viswanath, Daniel A. Kuchma, and James M. LaFave

Publication: Structural Journal

Volume: 118

Issue: 1

Appears on pages(s): 263-276

Keywords: concrete damage; fatigue; fatigue secant modulus; number of cycles to failure; strain behavior; wind turbine towers

DOI: 10.14359/51728185

Date: 1/1/2021

Abstract:
The use of concrete in fatigue critical structures, such as wind turbine towers, has necessitated the replacement of simplistic (and therefore insufficient) fatigue design recommendations with more accurate and advanced fatigue models that can consider a greater complexity of stress states and materials. As the first part of a multistage test series, an experimental investigation was conducted to determine the fatigue life of concrete subjected to axial compressive fatigue loading, focusing on the relatively high-cycle fatigue domain. A wide range of values for maximum stress levels and stress ratios were considered. The experimental results were compared against existing predictive models, and the most applicable model was identified. Concrete strain and stiffness behavior during fatigue loading were also investigated and reported. Based on the observed behavior, a hypothesis for identifying the impending occurrence of fatigue failure, based on the monotonic stress-strain curve, is examined.