Relationship between compressive and tensile strengths of roller-compacted concrete

The abstract roller-compacted concrete (RCC) is a zero slump concrete comprising the same materials as that of conventional concrete with different proportions. The RCC must be compacted to reach its final form. The effects of hydration and aggregate interlock on its strength are considerable. For similar binder contents, the compressive strength of the RCC is generally higher than that of the conventional concrete; however, the tensile strength of RCC may not be superior to that of the conventional concrete. Adequate tensile strength is necessary to resist fatigue cracking, particularly in pavement applications. However, the compressive strength is frequently used in assessing the quality control and quality assurance of pavements. Therefore, the relationship between the compressive and tensile strengths of the RCC should be analyzed. Unfortunately, only a few studies have been conducted on this relationship.The objective of this study is to identify the difference between the indirect tensile strengths of the RCC and those of the conventional concrete as well as develop relationship equations to evaluate the compressive and tensile strengths. In this study, regression equations are developed to estimate the indirect tensile strengths, which are known as flexural and splitting tensile strengths, using the compressive strength of the RCC. The results show that the flexural strength of the RCC is within the predicted values obtained from the conventional concrete equations for a given compressive strength. In contrast, the splitting tensile strength of the RCC is relatively lower than that of the conventional concrete for the given compressive strength.