Standardization News

A proposed ASTM International standard will be used to evaluate the tensile performance of fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) using cylindrical specimens with double-punch loading. ASTM’s concrete and concrete aggregates committee (C09) is developing the proposed standard.

According to ASTM International member Shih-ho Chao, Professor of civil engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, a double-punch test is an indirect tensile test method that shows much less variability and is more time efficient than typical beam-type testing. ”It only requires a very simple and small capacity compression testing equipment to perform the test,” says Chao. “This method can be used for investigating various properties of FRCs such as strength, stiffness, ductility, and mix quality.”

The proposed standard (WK73384) will be useful to contractors, testing agencies, and researchers.

ASTM’s concrete and concrete aggregates committee welcomes participation in the development of its standards. Become a member of ASTM.