Roughness and fractality of fracture surfaces as indicators of mechanical quantities of porous solids

Abstract

The 3D profile surface parameter Hq and fractal dimension D were tested as indicators of mechanical properties inferred from fracture surfaces of porous solids. High porous hydrated cement pastes were used as prototypes of porous materials. Both the profile parameter Hq and the fractal dimension D showed capability to assess compressive strength from the fracture surfaces of hydrated pastes. From a practical point of view the 3D profile parameter Hq seems to be more convenient as an indicator of mechanical properties, as its values suffer much less from statistical scatter than those of fractal dimensions. © 2011 Versita Warsaw and Springer-Verlag Wien.