Roughness and fractality of fracture surfaces as indicators of mechanical quantities of porous solids

Abstract

Abstract The 3D profile surface parameter H q and fractal dimension D were tested as indicators of mechanical properties inferred from fracture surfaces of porous solids. High porous hydrated cement pastes were used as prototypes of porous materials. Both the profile parameter H q and the fractal dimension D showed capability to assess compressive strength from the fracture surfaces of hydrated pastes. From a practical point of view the 3D profile parameter H q seems to be more convenient as an indicator of mechanical properties, as its values suffer much less from statistical scatter than those of fractal dimensions.