Comparative study on calculation methods for compressive strength of low strength aggregate concrete

The compressive strength of concrete with low strength aggregate volume fractions of 10%, 20%, and 30% was calculated using both the graphical analysis method and mesomechanics method. In the calculation method based on graphical analysis, three-dimensional random spherical aggregate models of concrete with different volume contents of low strength aggregate were established and sliced. The results show that the graphical analysis method can effectively calculate the compressive strength of concrete with different volume contents of low strength aggregate. In the graphical analysis method, the relative errors of the calculated compressive strength of concrete with low strength aggregate volume fractions of 10%, 20%, and 30% were 4.84%, 4.84%, and 6.43%, respectively. Three-phase concrete models composed of mortar, aggregate, and interfacial transition zone were analyzed through the method of mesomechanics. The calculation results of the mesomechanics method show that the compressive strength of concrete was controlled by low strength aggregate, and the calculated compressive strength of concrete decreased with the increase in low strength aggregate volume content. In the mesomechanics method, the relative errors of the calculated compressive strength of concrete with low strength aggregate volume fractions of 10%, 20%, and 30% were 1.36%, 1.74%, and 3.7%, respectively. It can be found that the calculation results of the mesomechanics method are closer to the test values and have smaller relative errors, which indicate that the calculation method of mesomechanics theory is superior to the method of graphical analysis. (c) 2024 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).