JOURNAL OF ROCK MECHANICS

JOURNAL OF ROCK MECHANICS

Evaluation of temperature effect on the tensile fracture behavior of cementitious specimens with different geometries

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Maryam Mohammadi Ochmush
Mehdi Arash
Alireza Dolatshahi
Hamed Molladavoodi
Dept. Mining Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/IRSRM.2026.501404.0709
Abstract
Cement‑based composites in natural environments are often exposed to wide temperature fluctuations, which can significantly influence their fracture behavior. Since the mode‑I fracture toughness is a key parameter in assessing the structural stability of such materials, this study experimentally investigates the coupled effect of temperature variation and specimen geometry on the mode‑I fracture toughness of cement mortar. To this end, four different specimen geometries (CSTBD, SCB, SECRBB, and ENDB) were tested under four temperature levels within a thermal cycle. The results revealed a dual behavioral pattern: at −10 °C, the fracture toughness increased by an average of 10.9% across all geometries, with the CSTBD specimen exhibiting the highest increase at 14.44%. This enhancement was attributed to the increased stiffness of the cementitious matrix and the restricted propagation of microcracks at low temperatures. In contrast, a continuous reduction in fracture toughness was observed as the temperature rose to 100 °C, which was associated with the formation of thermal microcracks and the gradual degradation of the cement paste. Under these conditions, the ENDB geometry showed the greatest vulnerability, with a 33% reduction. The findings clearly demonstrate that temperature sensitivity is strongly dependent on specimen geometry: CSTBD and SCB geometries exhibited the highest responsiveness to low temperatures, whereas ENDB and SECRBB geometries showed the greatest sensitivity to elevated temperatures. This study provides valuable insight for the optimal design of engineering structures exposed to thermal fluctuations.
Keywords
Tensile fracture toughness
temperature effect
specimen geometry
fracture mechanics
cement mortar
Subjects
[1] H. Qiu, Z. Zhu, M. Wang, F. Wang, Y. Ma, L. Lang, P. Ying, Study on crack dynamic propagation behavior and fracture toughness in rock-mortar interface of concrete, Eng Fract Mech 228 (2020) 106798.
[2] H. Molladavoodi, A. Dolatshahi, M. Arash, M.M. Mashayekhi, Experimental study on temperature effect on the tensile fracture toughness of cement mortars containing micro-silica, (2024).
[3] Y. Saadati, J.-F. Chatelain, G. Lebrun, Y. Beauchamp, P. Bocher, N. Vanderesse, A study of the interlaminar fracture toughness of unidirectional flax/epoxy composites, Journal of Composites Science 4 (2020) 66.
[4] T.L. Anderson, T.L. Anderson, Fracture mechanics: fundamentals and applications, CRC press, 2005.
[5] E. Ozdemir, D. Eren Sarici, The effects of some environmental conditions on the mode I fracture toughness of rocks, Acta Geodaetica et Geophysica 59 (2024) 73–91.
[6] Fu, Jinwei, et al. Determination of mode I fracture toughness of brittle materials with a new method. Acta Mechanica Sinica 40.2 (2024): 423236.
[7] Haeri, H. Simulating the crack propagation mechanism of pre-cracked concrete specimens under shear loading conditions. Strength of Materials 47.4 (2015): 618-632.
[8] D. Zhang, G. Lu, Y. Song, W. Nie, P.G. Ranjith, Experimental study of the effect of ultralow temperature on the fracture toughness of sandstone, Eng Fract Mech 296 (2024) 109830. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2023.109830.
[9] T. Zhou, X. Yin, C. Zhou, P. Guo, J. Zhou, Influences of water saturation and strain rate on the mechanical and failure behavior of sandstone under direct shear test with constant normal pressure, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences 175 (2024) 105684.
[10] J. Jin, L. Wang, Z. Yan, G. Li, J. Wang, Effects of strain rate and bedding on shale fracture mechanisms, Int J Mech Sci 277 (2024) 109398.
[11] J. Ren, M. Li, Z. Zhao, H. Lu, X. Tong, Y. Xu, D. Li, Effects of moisture contents, fracture modes, and temperatures on fracture toughness and crack distribution of asphalt concrete at low-temperature, Case Studies in Construction Materials 21 (2024) e03647.
[12] H. Wang, L. Zhou, Z. Zhu, J. Chen, L. Ma, X. Shui, H. Zhang, Investigation of fracture characteristics of cracked granite suffered from different thermal treatments and water-cooling time, Journal of Materials Research and Technology 29 (2024) 286–302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2024.01.060.
[13] C. Noël, B. Fryer, P. Baud, M. Violay, Water weakening and the compressive brittle strength of carbonates: Influence of fracture toughness and static friction, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences 177 (2024) 105736.
[14] H. Rouhani, M. Arash, E. Farrokh, Investigating the effects of confining pressure and loading rate on damage propagation and mode I stress intensity factor of granite using the RHT constitutive model, Geomechanics and Geophysics for Geo-Energy and Geo-Resources 11 (2025) 79. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40948-025-00973-z.
[15] A. Dolatshahi, M. Arash, H. Molladavoodi, Experimental investigation on temperature effects on modes II and III fracture toughness of conventional and boosted cement mortars, Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics (2025) 105109.
[16] A. Dolatshahi, M. Arash, H. Molladavoodi, Recycled aggregate size effect on shear and tensile fracture toughness of SCB Eco-friendly cemented specimens, Sci Rep (2025).
[17] J. Justo, J. Castro, S. Cicero, M.A. Sánchez-Carro, Influence of temperature on the fracture toughness of several rocks, in: International Symposium on Energy Geotechnics, Springer, 2018: pp. 352–359.
[18] G. Feng, Y. Kang, T. Meng, Y. Hu, X. Li, The influence of temperature on mode I fracture toughness and fracture characteristics of sandstone, Rock Mech Rock Eng 50 (2017) 2007–2019.
[19] R.D. Dwivedi, A.K. Soni, R.K. Goel, A.K. Dube, Fracture toughness of rocks under sub-zero temperature conditions, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences 37 (2000) 1267–1275.
[20] Y. Hu, Y. Hu, G. Zhao, P. Jin, Z. Zhao, C. Li, Experimental investigation of the relationships among P-wave velocity, tensile strength, and mode-I fracture toughness of granite after high-temperature treatment, Natural Resources Research 31 (2022) 801–816.
[21] B. Mahanta, T.N. Singh, P.G. Ranjith, Influence of thermal treatment on mode I fracture toughness of certain Indian rocks, Eng Geol 210 (2016) 103–114.
[22] A. ASTM, C305-06 Standard Practice for Mechanical Mixing of Hydraulic Cement Pastes and Mortars of Plastic Consistency, ASTM Int, West Conshohocken (2015).
[23] P.K. Mehta, Advancements in concrete technology, Concrete International 21 (1999) 69–76.
[24] M.R.M. Aliha, A. Bahmani, S. Akhondi, Determination of mode III fracture toughness for different materials using a new designed test configuration, Mater Des 86 (2015) 863–871.
[25] K. Khan, N.A. Al-Shayea, Effect of specimen geometry and testing method on mixed mode I–II fracture toughness of a limestone rock from Saudi Arabia, Rock Mech Rock Eng 33 (2000) 179–206.
[26] C. Atkinson, R.E. Smelser, J. Sanchez, Combined mode fracture via the cracked Brazilian disk test, Int J Fract 18 (1982) 279–291.
[27] F. Mehri Sofiani, B. V Farahani, J. Belinha, Fracture toughness determination on an SCB specimen by meshless methods, Applied Sciences 12 (2022) 2633.
[28] Bazant, Zdenek P., and Jaime Planas. Fracture and size effect in concrete and other quasibrittle materials. Routledge, (2019).
JOURNAL OF ROCK MECHANICS

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 06 June 2026