Experiments and analyses of fracture properties of grouting mortars

Material experiments for the grouting mortar are performed to evaluate the fracture properties. The fracture mechanical parameters such as the specific fracture energy and the tension softening diagram are analyzed from the load-displacement curves measured using rectangular notched specimens and wedge-splitting procedures. Using these data, the tension-softening diagram of the grouting mortar is proposed and applied to numerical analyses of the wedge-splitting test specimens to investigate the applicability of the model. The analytical results are compared with the experimental results, and the reliability of the tension-softening diagram is examined. It is concluded that the tension-softening diagram proposed is useful for the fracture analysis of the mortar.