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Engineering

Influence of Aggregate Interlock on Shear Transfer in Cracked Concrete

Quick fact

The shear transfer capacity of cracked concrete through aggregate interlock can be more than half of the uncracked concrete's shear strength, even for crack widths of 0.5 mm.

Why this is interesting

Imagine a cracked concrete beam still carrying heavy loads. How can a material that is already broken continue to transfer forces across the crack? The secret lies in the microscopic roughness of the crack surfaces.