The effect of alkali-silica reaction on the fatigue behaviour of plain concrete tested in compression, indirect tension and flexure

The fatigue strength of concrete is an important factor in the design of many structures. However, the behaviour of concrete under indirect tensile repeated load has never been clarified to date by researchers. Therefore one of the objectives of this investigation was to study the effect of alkali-silica reaction (ASR) on the fatigue behaviour of concrete tested in flexure as well as under repeated indirect tensile load. The other objective of this investigation aaas to study the effect of ASR on the fatigue behaviour of plain concrete tested in compression. The latter is of particular importance to the structural engineer. Its importance lies in that it is a quality control test as well as a aaasic physical property for use in theoretical analysis of concrete structures. The lack of understanding of the basic nature of the fatigue behaviour of unreinforced alkali-silica-reacted concrete has led to this part of the investigation, which aims to relate the effect of the reaction not only to the performance of small specimens which are used to obtain basic design information but also to the lifetime of complete structures. The data obtained in relation to the fatigue performance of ASR-affected concrete could allow engineers to maintain and repair such structures with greater confidence.