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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 February 2011
Autoclaved cement-silica mortars having flexural strengths of up to 57 MPa were prepared by pressing and casting methods of fabrication. It was found that the Griffith dependence of strength upon the size of the largest flaw, the modulus of elasticity and the surface energy was applicable. The relative contributions of these three parameters were evaluated and it was established that although the maximum flaw was the dominant factor in a specific material, surface energy changes were responsible for major strength differences associated with water-solid ratios or variations in the preparation method. Preliminary studies identified the various microstructural features that operated as Griffith's flaws.