Mesoscale Mechanical Properties and Influencing Factors of Concrete under Uniaxial Tension

Abstract

Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to generate a mesoscale model of concrete with randomly packed aggregates with different shapes and sizes. The mechanical properties of concrete specimens under uniaxial tensile loads were studied using statistical results. The results indicated that the entire process of damage and failure of specimens exhibited mainly two failure types: fracture patterns I and II. Furthermore, the influences of the aggregate content ratio, aggregate shape, aggregate size, interfacial transition zone (ITZ) strength, and porosity ratio on the concrete specimens were analyzed. The numerical simulation results showed that the elastic modulus of the concrete specimens increased approximately linearly with the aggregate volume ratio but decreased linearly with the porosity and was not affected by the ITZ strength. The tensile strength decreased with the increases in the aggregate content and porosity of the sample, but increased linearly with the ITZ strength. In addition, the aggregate shape led to a difference in the tensile strength of the concrete.

Keywords

concrete / mechanical behavior / aggregate / interfacial transition zone / pore

References

[1] Huang J, Li V C. A Meso-Mechanical Model of the Tensile Behaviour of Concrete. Part I: Modelling of the Pre-Peak Stress-Strain Relation. Composites, 1989, 20(4): 361-369. J]

[2] Huang J, Li V C. A Meso-Mechanical Model of the Tensile Behaviour of Concrete. Part II: Modelling of Post-Peak Tension Softening Behaviour. Composites, 1989, 20(4): 370-378. J]

[3] Caballero A, López C M, Carol I. 3D Meso-Structural Analysis of Concrete Specimens under Uniaxial Tension. Comput. Method Appl. M., 2006, 195(52): 7 182-7 195. J]

[4] López C M, Carol I, Aguado A. Meso-Structural Study of Concrete Fracture Using Interface Elements. I: Numerical Model and Tensile Behavior. Mater. Struct., 2008, 41(3): 583-599. J]

[5] López C M, Carol I, Aguado A. Meso-Structural Study of Concrete Fracture Using Interface Elements. II: Compression, Biaxial and Brazilian Test. Mater. Struct., 2008, 41(3): 601-620. J]

[6] Wang X F, Yang Z J, Yates J R, et al. Monte Carlo Simulations of Mesoscale Fracture Modelling of Concrete with Random Aggregates and Pores. Constr. Build. Mater., 2015, 75: 35-45. J]

[7] Murali K, Deb A. Effect of Meso-Structure on Strength and Size Effect in Concrete under Tension. Int. J. Numer. Anal. Met., 2018, 42(1): 181-207. J]

[8] Chen H, Xu B, Mo Y L, et al. Behavior of Meso-Scale Heterogeneous Concrete under Uniaxial Tensile and Compressive Loadings. Constr. Build. Mater., 2018, 178: 418-431. J]

[9] Mazars J. A Description of Micro- and Macroscale Damage of Concrete Structures. Eng. Fract. Mech., 1986, 25(5): 729-737. J]

[10] Carpinteri A, Chiaia B, Invernizz I S. Three-Dimensional Fractal Analysis of Concrete Fracture at the Meso-Level. Theor. Appl. Fract. Mec., 1999, 31(3): 163-172. J]

[11] Ince R. A Novel Meso-Mechanical Model for Concrete Fracture. Struct. Eng. Mech., 2004, 18(1): 91-112. J]

[12] Mungule M, Raghuprasad B K. Meso-Scale Studies in Fracture of Concrete: A Numerical Simulation. Comput. Struct., 2011, 89(11): 912-920. J]

[13] Erdem S, Dawson A R, Thom N H. Impact Load-Induced Micro-Structural Damage and Micro-Structure Associated Mechanical Response of Concrete Made with Different Surface Roughness and Porosity Aggregates. Cement Concrete Res., 2012, 42(2): 291-305. J]

[14] Wang X, Zhang M, Jivkov A P. Computational Technology for Analysis of 3D Meso-Structure Effects on Damage and Failure of Concrete. Int. J. Solids Struct., 2016, 80: 310-333. J]

[15] Xu P B, Xu H, Wen H M. 3D Meso-Mechanical Modeling of Concrete Spall Tests. Int. J. Impact Eng., 2016, 97: 46-56. J]

[16] Gangnant A, Saliba J, La Borderie C, et al. Modeling of the Quasibrittle Fracture of Concrete at Meso-Scale: Effect of Classes of Aggregates on Global and Local Behavior. Cement Concrete Res., 2016, 89: 35-44. J]

[17] Trawiriski W, Tejchman J, Bobiriski J. A Three-Dimensional Meso-Scale Modelling of Concrete Fracture, Based on Cohesive Elements and X-ray MCT Images. Eng. Fract. Mech., 2018, 189: 27-50. J]

[18] Nitka M, Tejchman J. A Three-Dimensional Meso-Scale Approach to Concrete Fracture Based on Combined DEM with X-ray MCT Images. Cement Concrete Res., 2018, 107: 11-29. J]

[19] Jin L, Yu W, Du X, et al. Meso-Scale Modelling of the Size Effect on Dynamic Compressive Failure of Concrete under Different Strain Rates. Int. J. Impact Eng., 2019, 125: 1-12. J]

[20] Alam S Y, Loukili A. Effect of Micro-Macro Crack Interaction on Softening Behaviour of Concrete Fracture. Int. J. Solids Struct., 2020, 182: 34-45. J]

[21] Grassl P, Wong H S, Büenfeld N R. Influence of Aggregate Size and Volume Fraction on Shrinkage Induced Micro-Cracking of Concrete and Mortar. Cement Concrete Res., 2010, 40(1): 85-93. J]

[22] Erdem S, Dawson A R, Thom N H. Influence of the Micro- and Nanoscale Local Mechanical Properties of the Interfacial Transition Zone on Impact Behavior of Concrete Made with Different Aggregates. Cement Concrete Res., 2012, 42(2): 447-458. J]

[23] Bian L, Wang Q, Meng D, et al. A Modified Micro-Mechanics Model for Estimating Effective Elastic Modulus of Concrete. Constr. Build. Mater., 2012, 36: 572-577. J]

[24] Chen G, Hao Y, Hao H. 3D Meso-Scale Modelling of Concrete Material in Spall Tests. Mater. Struct., 2015, 48(6): 1 887-1 899. J]

[25] Ren Q, Li Q, Yin Y. Concrete Meso-Structure Characteristics and Mechanical Property Research with Numerical Methods. Constr. Build. Mater., 2018, 158: 189-197. J]

[26] Walaraven J C, Reinhardt H W. Theory and Experiments on the Mechanical Behavior of Cracks in Plain and Reinforced Concrete Subjected to Shear Loading. Heron, 1981, 26(1A): 23-33. [J]

[27] Naderi S, Zhang M. Meso-Scale Modelling of Static and Dynamic Tensile Fracture of Concrete Accounting for Real-Shape Aggregates. Cement Concrete Comp., 2021, 116: 103 889. J]

[28] Camanho P P, Davila C G, Pinho S T. Fracture Analysis of Composite Co-Cured Structural Joints Using Decohesion Elements: Portugal Special Issue. Fatigue Fract. Eng. M., 2004, 27(9): 745-757. J]

[29] Akita H, Koide H, Tomon M, et al. A Practical Method for Uniaxial Tension Test of Concrete. Mater. Struct., 2003, 36(6): 365-371. J]

[30] Su X T, Yang Z J, Liu G H. Monte Carlo Simulation of Complex Cohesive Fracture in Random Heterogeneous Quasi-Brittle Materials: A 3D Study. Int. J. Solids Struct., 2010, 47(17): 2 336-2 345. J]

[31] Hordijk D A. Tensile and Tensile Fatigue Behaviour of Concrete; Experiments, Modelling and Analyses. Heron, 1992, 37(1): 1-79. [J]

[32] Hillerborg A, Modéer M, Petersson P E. Analysis of Crack Formation and Crack Growth in Concrete by Means of Fracture Mechanics and Finite Elements. Cement Concrete Res., 1976, 6(6): 773-781. J]

[33] Dittmer T, Beushausen H. The Effect of Coarse Aggregate Content and Size on the Age at Cracking of Bonded Concrete Overlays Subjected to Restrained Deformation. Constr. Build. Mater., 2014, 69: 73-82. J]

[34] Du X, Jin L, Ma G. Macroscopic Effective Mechanical Properties of Porous Dry Concrete. Cement Concrete Res., 2013, 44: 87-96. J]

[35] Li D, Li Z, Lv C, et al. A Predictive Model of the Effective Tensile and Compressive Strengths of Concrete Considering Porosity and Pore Size. Constr. Build. Mater., 2018, 170: 520-526. J]