Effect of the presence and size of a localized nonlinear source in concrete

Abstract

The aim of the present letter is to identify the contribution of a macroscopic source of elastic nonlinearity in concrete, a medium which by nature is nonlinear, and belongs to the nonlinear mesoscopic class of materials. The influence of real, localized macro-cracks is characterized with respect to the intrinsic nonlinearity of the material. The influence of the size of the source on the amplitude of the measured nonlinearity is qualitatively demonstrated. A comparison is made between the changes in linear and nonlinear parameters.