Equipment will be acquired for a standard compression test frame with the following features: 600 K compression capacity, closed-loop load and strain control capability, hydraulic actuator, digital function generator, 70 gpm hydraulic power supply, and electronic controllers and x-y recorder. The research for which this equipment is primarily intended deals with high strength, high performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (concrete, mortar, slurry paste). High strength implies a ductility (or toughness) one to two orders of magnitude larger than that of the unreinforced matrix. The main objective of this research is to understand the fiber reinforcing mechanisms of these composites and develop constitutive models to predict their stress-strain response under monotonic and cyclic loadings. The experimental program necessitates the use of a large capacity (600 kips) compression testing machine with feedback control capablity.
