Effect of various factors on the flexural strength of concrete test beams

The paper describes bend tests on plain concrete beams carried out by the author at the Swedish Cement and Concrete Research Institute, Stockholm (the CBI), as part of their research programme. The test results are here used as a basis for an analysis of the effect of various factors on the flexural strength of concrete test beams.

The reported results of previous workers in this field are summarized and discussed. These are so presented as to provide additional data for an analysis of the applicability of various theories of the effect of dimensions of the test specimen.

The paper closes with some practical considerations which should be taken into account when determining the flexural strength of plain concrete beams.