Incorporating elastic and creep deformations in modelling the three-dimensional autogenous shrinkage of cement paste

A structure-based modelling framework was established to simulate the three-dimensional autogenous shrinkage of cement paste. A cement hydration model, HYMOSTRUC3D-E, was used to obtain the microstructures and ionic concentrations of the cement paste. A lattice fracture model based on the effective stress and effective modulus was used to...

Effect of coarse aggregate size on non-uniform stress/strain and drying-induced microcracking in concrete

Non-uniform stresses, strains and microcracking of the concretes with three coarse aggregate sizes (5–10 mm, 10–16 mm, 16–20 mm) dried under 40% relative humidity (RH) for 60 days were quantified using digital image correlation and lattice fracture modelling. The influencing mechanism of coarse aggregate size on the drying-induced...

Investigation of drying-induced non-uniform deformation, stress, and micro-crack propagation in concrete

Concrete generally deforms and cracks in a non-uniform manner under drying-induced stress. This study used the lattice fracture model to simulate the drying-induced non-uniform deformations, stresses, and micro-crack propagation in concrete. Experiments were designed to validate the lattice fracture model, wherein the drying-induced non...

Effect of relative humidity on drying-induced damage in concrete: A comparative study of digital image correlation and lattice modelling

To assess the effect of relative humidity (RH) on drying-induced damage in concrete, the non-uniform strains and microcracks in concrete under different RH conditions were obtained using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique and lattice fracture model. The simulated non-uniform displacements were consistent with those captured using...

Modeling framework for fracture in multiscale cement-based material structures

Multiscale modeling for cement-based materials, such as concrete, is a relatively young subject, but there are already a number of different approaches to study different aspects of these classical materials. In this paper, the parameter-passing multiscale modeling scheme is established and applied to address the multiscale modeling problem...

Lattice modeling of fracture processes in numerical concrete with irregular shape aggregates

The fracture processes in concrete can be simulated by lattice fracture model [1]. A lattice network is usually constructed on top of the material structure of concrete, and then the mechanical properties of lattice elements are assigned, corresponding with the phases they represent. The material structure of concrete can be obtained...

Multiscale lattice fracture model for cement-based materials

Cracking in cement-based materials is usually not easy to predict, because of the complexity of their microstructures. Concrete is a composite material of mortar and coarse aggregates, and mortar consists of cement paste and sands. The fracture processes in these materials are related, and this paper aims to reveal the relationship by developing...

Modeling fracture behavior of cement paste based on its microstructure

Concrete is a composite construction material, which is composed primarily of coarse aggregates, sands and cement paste. The fracture processes in concrete are complicated, because of the multiscale and multiphase nature of the material. In the past decades, comprehensive effort has been put to study the cracks evolution in concrete, both...

Influences of mineral composition of cement on the mechanical properties of cement paste

Multiscale modeling scheme for cementitious materials

Recent advances on self healing of concrete

In this paper an overview is given of new developments obtained in research on self healing of cracks in cement based materials and asphalt concrete. At Delft University various projects are running to study self healing mechanisms. The first project that is discussed is Bacterial Concrete, in which bacteria are mixed in concrete, that can...

3D Simulation of micromechanical behavior of cement paste

Numerical modeling of fracture processes of brittle materials, such as cement paste, mortar, concrete and rocks, started in the late 1960s when the discrete and smeared cracking models were introduced. In the 1990s, Schlangen and van Mier proposed another numerical model to compensate the drawbacks of the discrete and smeared cracking models,...