Abstract
This paper examines certain strength characteristics of wood–concrete composites in comparison with other lightweight concretes. To address these issues, we conducted a series of experiments to study the relationship between the prismatic strength-to-cubic strength ratio, the development of strength, and the sequence of failure stages in arbolite–concrete composites with various structural characteristics under a destructive load. Our experiments confirmed that the ratio of cubic to prismatic strength in wood–concrete specimens ranges from 0.894 to 0.965 and, in some cases, approaches unity depending on the size, fibers, and microstructure of the organic aggregate. We have also established that the failure of fibrous-structured arbolite concrete specimens occurs sequentially: first, the mortar component fails, and then the organic aggregate fibers fail. In arbolite concrete specimens with a porous and coarse-pored structure, failure occurs simultaneously, as in other types of concrete. Based on the characteristics of the hardening and failure stages of arbolite–concrete composites, they can be used as wall material for building construction in regions with high seismic activity.