Answer :
The cube compressive strength (MPa) of the concrete specimens refers to the given numerical values of individual tests, which indicates their ability to resist crushing. The ultimate compressive strength of concrete being much higher than the shear strength suggests that blocks can withstand a lot of pressure, though they may fail in shear under certain conditions.
The cube compressive strength (MPa) of the concrete specimens is the measure of the material's ability to withstand loads that tend to reduce size. For the data given, it simply refers to the numerical values: 112.4, 97.0, 92.9, 86.0, 102.0, 99.3, 95.8, 103.5, 89.0, and 86.7 MPa. These values are individual measurements from tests conducted on the concrete specimens.
Regarding the significance of the data provided, it's relevant to consider that the ultimate compressive strength of concrete is significantly higher than the ultimate shear strength. This means that while the blocks can withstand a considerable load before crushing, they are more susceptible to failure through shearing forces that could cause chipping on the edges or corners.
The ultimate compressive strength is so high (20 imes 10^6 N/m^2) that the blocks are unlikely to crush under typical conditions. However, based on the ultimate shear strength data (2 imes 10^6 N/m^2), it's possible that under certain conditions they might chip or fail in shear before reaching the crushing limit.
