Experimental study and analytical modeling on hysteresis behavior of plain concrete in uniaxial cyclic tension

Abstract The hysteresis phenomenon can be observed in concrete when it is subjected to the cyclic load. The uniaxial tensile cycling tests with different frequencies and loading regimes were carried on the concrete by using the electric-hydraulic servo-controlled material testing system (MTS 322). The objective of this paper is to investigate the hysteresis phenomenon of concrete stress-strain curve, the axial energy consumption per unit volume, dynamic elastic modulus, damping ratio, and the effect of the cyclic number and loading frequency on these mechanical characteristics. The Preisach-Mayergoyz (P-M) model has also been used to analyze the hysteresis loops of concrete. It was concluded that the hysteresis loops curve move towards the direction of the axial strain with the number of cycle increasing. With the increasing of cycle number, the axial energy consumption per unit volume decreases rapidly and then the decrease rate tends to be stable. With the increasing of cyclic frequency, the value of dynamic elastic modulus decrease. Under the same loading frequency, the value of dynamic elastic modulus and damping ratio decrease as the number of cycle increases. The P-M model is appropriate for modeling the experimental hysteresis loop and energy consumption of concrete.