Effects of the Hygrothermal Conditions on the Fracture Energy of the Concrete

摘要

The scenario of a severe accident in the containment building of a nuclear plant results in an increase in pressure, temperature and relative humidity that can reach respectively 5 bars, 140 °C and the saturation of water vapour. As well as the regulatory calculations, accurate knowledge of the thermal and mechanical behaviour of materials and more specifically of concrete is required to carry out more precise numerical simulations.Our study aims to investigate the mechanical behaviour of concrete under homogeneous conditions of moisture and temperature. An experimental apparatus was designed in order to assess the evolutions of the fracture energy of concrete. Different temperature levels up to a maximum of 110 °C and at different values of the controlled moisture content were investigated. The equipment was used to perform DCT (Disk-shape Compact Tension) tests at 30, 90 and 110 °C. Five levels of degree of liquid water saturation (S_w) were investigated for each temperature level.