Abstract
IN concrete, as in most other brittle materials, two distinct types of failure can be distinguished. A crushing failure is always accompanied by the formation of debris, and is generally caused by diagonal shear due to compression. A cleavage failure is easily recognized by the clean appearance of the fracture; if the concrete is suitably reinforced, failure in direct tension due to bending can be prevented, and a cleavage fracture is therefore normally the result of diagonal tension due to shear.
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COWAN, H. Strength of Reinforced Concrete under the Action of Combined Stresses, and the Representation of the Criterion of Failure by a Space Model. Nature 169, 663 (1952). https://doi.org/10.1038/169663a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/169663a0
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