ABSTRACT
There is an inherent error in selecting concrete strength for establishing maximum fatigue loads for a new experiment, due to the large variability in experimental results of compressive and split cylinder tests. Procedure presented in an earlier research was used to determine concrete strengths values with safety levels ranging between 90% to 99%. Similar process based on determining safety level is implemented in this work to determine fatigue life of concrete cylinders. Most research on fatigue of plain concrete focuses on frequencies above 1 Hz. The effects of stress reversal combined with low-frequency loading are explored in this experimental program. The program focuses on establishing the fatigue life of plain concrete cylinders subjected to cyclic tensile-compressive stresses at 0.1 Hz frequency. Concrete cylinders with 36 MPa compressive strength were studied under three high tensile stress levels, reversed fatigue loading, and a constant stress range of 11 MPa at 0.1 Hz.
