Concrete contains as load-bearing skeleton a densely packed aggregate of a wide range of particle sizes. Particularly river aggregate can easily loosen from the cementitious matrix, however, so that debonding a process initiates of structural loosening under increasing loads. A higher magnification allows one to perceive also the smaller particles, and thus the associated bond cracks. Hence, damage is a resolution-dependent phenomenon. Based on geometrical statistical notions and the sieve curve, an estimate is derived for the amount of damage as a function of resolution. In analogy with fracture surfaces, this estimate is interpreted in terms of the fractal concept.
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