Measuring intrinsic material properties of cementitious materials with application to beam tests

By Jeffery Roesler on 09/03/2026 from 2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. in 1611 Titan Dr., Rantoul, IL 61866

Join Jeffery Roesler, Ernest J. Barenberg Endowed Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, as he presents in-person at the Fall 2026 Kent Seminar Series on Thursday, September 3, from 2:00-2:50 p.m. (CT).

The Fall 2026 Kent Seminar will explore advances in transportation engineering modeling. The 13-speaker series will begin August 27 and end November 19. 

Pizza and soft drinks will be provided beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the ICT Classroom. 

All presentations will be held on Zoom, but some speakers will present in person at ICT.

Join Zoom Webinar
TBD

Meeting ID: TBD
Passcode: TBD

Abstract and Bio

This talk will continue the discussion of the complete theory of elastic-brittle fracture, focusing on how to practically extract the material properties of cementitious materials needed to define elastic energy, the strength surface and fracture toughness. Three practical tests will be introduced that allow for efficient and robust measurement of the intrinsic macroscopic properties governing fracture. The talk will then present an application of these tests to a cementitious composite and use the measured properties within the new theoretical framework to explain and predict the discrepancy between four-point and three-point bending tests. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of the implications of this new insight for transportation applications in which fracture is the dominant performance metric.

Roesler is the Ernest J. Barenberg Endowed Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. For more than 25 years, he has conducted research on concrete materials and pavement design. His recent research interests include fatigue and fracture of plain and fiber-reinforced concrete, roller-compacted concrete pavements, concrete overlays, slab curling, recycled construction materials, microscale urban heat islands, passive pavement material sensing for advanced driver-assistance vehicles, 3D concrete printing and noncontact ultrasonic sensing of concrete. He is a registered professional engineer in California and a past president of the International Society for Concrete Pavements.