SPACE Approach to Concrete's Space Structure and its Mechanical Properties

SPACE Approach to Concrete's Space Structure and its Mechanical Properties

Stroeven, P.
Stroeven, M.

Civil Engineering and Geosciences

Structural Mechanics

2001-01-01

Structural properties of particulate materials can be described in densities of the particle packing, more generally denoted as particle composition. Obviously, this global measure does not offer information on the way particles are mutually arranged in space. This is associated with particle configuration. This terminology and the associated categories of material behaviour that rely on either one of these extremes of structural properties are elaborated in this paper. The range of such properties will be between structure-insensitive ones, like mass or stiffness (Young's modulus), and structure-sensitive properties like crack initiation and tensile strength. The establishment of an experimental basis for the dependence of a mechanical property on certain structural features (and the associated micro-mechanical properties) would require extensive, cumbersome and complicated testing: mechanical testing for defining the very property, quantitative (section) image analysis and stereological three-dimensional assessment of the relevant structural features. 'Realistic' simulation of material structure by computer would therefore offer an interesting alternative. This paper introduces the SPACE system (Software Package for the Assessment of Compositional Evolution) as the most recent development in this field. It has been developed to assess the composition as well as configuration characteristics of dense random packing situations in opaque materials. This paper presents an introduction to the system and will thereupon highlight by means of illustrative examples of typical applications on different levels of the microstructure the system's capabilities. Although only a single application can be presented in this framework, they all concern areas of major engineering interest.

composition, configuration
interfacial transition zone
material model
particle packing
SPACE
stereology
structure-sensitivity

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:405fcfc0-5fa9-4a95-a84a-5c9261cda67d

Delft University of Technology

0046-7316

HERON, 46 (3), 2001

Institutional Repository

journal article

(c) The Author(s)