Quasi-static compressive strength of cement-based materials

Wet cementitious materials show a noticeable dependence on the rate of quasi-static loading. While dry cementitious materials are almost independent of loading rate in the quasi-static region, the mechanical strength of wet materials increases with increasing rate of loading. Therefore, the Abrams' formula for the static mechanical strength cannot provide reliable values with wet materials at higher rates and should be corrected. Some possibilities for its improvement have been discussed.