Strength and fracture properties of roller compacted concrete (RCC) prepared by an in-situ compaction procedure

•RCC strength and fracture properties are affected by mixture proportions and compaction amount.•Fracture parameters (KIC and CTODc) enhanced with the maximum aggregate size for plain RCC mixtures.•The fine to total aggregate ratio provided a strong contribution in estimating KIC and CTODc.•Unlike the mechanical properties, a limited effect of the binder dosage on the fracture parameters was observed. The use of roller compacted concrete (RCC) technology in pavement applications has been steadily increasing owing to its economical as well as practical advantages. Past literature studies on RCC mixtures, focused mainly on the effects of RCC mixtures on their strength and durability properties, and there is a lack in the fracture properties. In this experimental study, a total of seven different RCC mixtures were designed with four different binder ratios ranging from 200 kg/m3 to 600 kg/m3, and two different aggregate gradations with maximum aggregate sizes of 12 mm and 19 mm to investigate the effect of mixture design on RCC mechanical performance and fracture properties. All RCC mixtures were compacted in a plate mold with dimensions of 15x85x200 cm3 by applying first a vibratory plate compactor, then a double drum vibratory hand roller to simulate the actual field compaction procedures. Cores and prismatic beam specimens were taken from the plates to determine the strength and fracture properties of RCC mixtures. Single-point bending test was applied on the notched beams to determine the fracture parameters by using RILEM procedure based on the non-linear two parameter fracture model. According to the statistical analysis results, it was found that the strength and the fracture properties of RCC mixtures were affected not only by the mixture proportions but also by the compaction amount. Moreover, it was shown that the critical stress intensity factor (KIc) was enhanced with the increase of maximum aggregate size, compaction ratio, then binder dosage. On the other hand, critical crack tip opening displacement, CTODc seems to be affected only by the fine to total aggregate ratio or the maximum aggregate size.