Brittle Matrix Composites

The subjects of the symposia are on composite materials behaving as brittle, normal and special conditions of exploitation. Brittle matrix composites are applied in various domains and the series of symposia are closely related to their applications in civil engineering. In the last decades their importance is increasing along with their variety and the use of most advanced methods of testing. Papers include concretes, fibre concretes and ceramics, particularly their composition, microstructure and fracture processes. Various new and advanced engineering problems are presented in the papers.

The International Symposium in Brittle Matrix Composites October 13-15, 2003 covers a wide spectrum of topics including cement based composites, ceramic composites and brittle polymer matrix composites. In the papers various topics and issues are considered such as: analytical and numerical studies related to the design of composites, prediction of behaviour and verification of strength and stability, testing methods, manufacturing processes and repair, environmental effects and durability assessment. The present volume of 55 papers proves that there are still many problems in the field of brittle matrix composites deserving theoretical and experimental investigations and that new solutions to these problems are needed for practical application in civil engineering, industrial structures, machinery and other domains.

The subjects of the symposia are on composite materials with matrices behaving as brittle in normal or special conditions. Brittle matrix composites are applied in various domains (civil engineering, mechanical equipment and machinery, vehicles, etc.) and in the last decades their importance is increasing together with their variety. Papers include: aggregate-binder composites (concretes, fibre concretes, rocks); sintered materials (ceramics); high strength composites with brittle matrices. In principle, the general problems of structures made of composite materials are not included in the papers. Various approaches to the material engineering problems are presented in the papers.

This is the third volume published in the series of proceedings of international symposia called 'Brittle Matrix Composites' organised every three years in Poland. The first Symposium, denoted as BMC1, was organised in Jablonna near Warsaw in 1985 under the auspices of the European Mechanics Committee (EUROMECH 204). The second (BMC2) took place in Cedzyna near Kielce in 1988; the present (BMC3) is being held in Warsaw in September 1991. The BMC Symposia are intended to cover mechanical problems related to three main groups of composite materials: high-strength composites, ceramics and cement-based materials. The common feature which is a link between these materials is their brittle behaviour. Brittleness has no clear definition, but it is considered as an important potential disadvantage of every material. Brittle fracture creates various situations which may be very dangerous for the safety and serviceability of structures manufactured from composite materials. Also the brittleness of non-structural elements may give rise to disadvan tageous behaviour, e.g. during transportation and montage. There are many structural and technological ways of reducing material brittleness. Their development and further improvement are of primordial importance for most applications of these composite materials. The problems considered in the series of BMC Symposia cover all aspects of brittle matrix composites: • design studies, theoretical considerations, computational methods; • prediction of behaviour, fracture mechanics and other approaches; • testing methods, test results, all types of experimental studies; • manufacturing processes, applications, observations and durability assess ments, environmental effects, etc.

The subjects of the symposia are on composite materials behaving as brittle, normal and special conditions of exploitation. Brittle matrix composites are applied in various domains and the series of symposia are closely related to their applications in civil engineering. In the last decades their importance is increasing along with their variety and the use of most advanced methods of testing. Papers include concretes, fibre concretes and ceramics, particularly their composition, microstructure and fracture processes. Various new and advanced engineering problems are presented in the papers.

The papers contained herein were presented at the Second International Sym posium on Brittle Matrix Composites (BMC2) held at Cedzyna, Poland, 20-22 September 1988. The colloquium was organiscd and sponsored by thc Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, in associa tion with Kielce Technical University and the Civil Engineering Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The Symposium forms a logical progression from BMCI which was held in Jablonna, Poland, in November 1985. As the title implies, the Symposium addressed a variety of problems ranging from concrete to ceramics and so on; others which become embrittled under extraneous conditions were also addressed. Participants from twenty countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, People's Republic of China, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Federal Republic of Germany, German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Japan, North Korea, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Soviet Union, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam) contri butcd to the success of the event. For logistical reasons, apart from five invited Plenary papers, the remaining sixty-nine contributions were, broadly speaking, subdivided into two Parallel Sessions. One branch dealt with Cement Based Composites, the other with Poly mers and Ceramics. Except for the inherent disadvantages of Parallel Sessions, this was probably the most efficient subdivision possible.