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Moisture and Strain Rate Effects on Concrete Strength by C. Allen Ross, David M. Jerome, Joseph W. Tedesco, and Mary L. Hughes The effects of strain rate and the coupled effects of moisture content and strain rate on concrete strength are experimentally investigated. Dry concrete exhibits clearly defined strain rate transition regions for both tension and compression. Significant strength increases in dry concrete are observed only at strain rates above the transition regions. Wet concrete, however, experiences appreciable increases in strength at strain rates both below and above the dry concrete transition region. An analytical expression has been derived that accurately predicts the tensile fracture strength of dry concrete. This expression can be modified to account for moisture content in concrete. Keywords: compressive strength; concrete s; moisture content of aggregate, hardened concrete, etc. ; strains; tensile strength. INTRODUCTION Results from experimental studies documenting the effects of strain rate on dry concrete strength have been reported in the literature as early as the mid-1900s.Since that time, a considerable amount of data relevant to the strain rate dependence of concrete strength has been published. Specific details of some of the methods used for data collec- tion are presented in References 4 through 14. Recent work conducted by Ross et al. 15 demonstrates strain rate sensi- tivity in both compression and tension for various dry concrete mixes. Compressive strength data for dry concrete is presented in Fig. 1. This figure illustrates that no appre- ciable strength increases occur below a strain rate range of approximately 60 to 80/sec. Beyond this transition region, however, significant increases in strength are exhibited. Similar data for concrete tensile strength is presented in Fig. 2. The strain rate transition region for appreciable increases in drThe presence of excess moisture in concrete appears to have a significant effe