A Note on the Fracture Behavior of Concrete Beams within Water Pressure under Different Loading Rates

This study examined the experiment of the water fracture interactions in the concrete. In order to create water pressure in the crack, a sealing device consisting of a mechanical clamp device and a waterproof membrane was proposed. Firstly, eighteen three-point bending tests were carried out to verify the proposed sealing device under three different loading rates. Subsequently, twelve hydraulic tests were performed under different loading rates. The results showed that the sealing device had minimal influence on the fracture behavior of concrete. Besides, with the increase of internal water pressure, the carrying capacity, fracture parameters and crack opening rate of concrete beam were evidently decreased. Meanwhile, the decrease of the carrying capacity, fracture parameters, and crack opening rate induced by internal water pressure decreased with the increase of loading rate. In addition, a significant hydraulic fracturing behavior caused by water pressure was observed in the quasi-static state.