Microstructure and transport phenomena in visco-elastic modelling of hardening cementitious materials

Since the durability depends, among other things, on the quality of the concrete and presence of cracks, it is necessary to calculate the probability of cracking in hardening concrete as reliable as possible in case of durability predictions. In this thesis, it is investigated how the accuracy of stress prediction in hardening concrete can be...

The spalling mechanism of fire exposed concrete

The spalling damage observed to concrete structures after severe fire exposure has been the topic of scientific research for the past decades. This phenomenon is commonly characterised by the sudden and in some cases violent breaking off of concrete pieces from the cross-section. In this thesis the derivation and the numerical results of a...

Deflections and Natural Frequencies as Parameters for Structural Health Monitoring: The Effect of Fatigue and Corrosion on the Deflections and the Natural Frequencies of Reinforced Concrete Beams

The Dutch road infrastructure contains a large number of concrete bridges and viaducts. Malfunction of these bridges and viaducts has large financial consequences. To avoid malfunctions of bridges, bridges need to be inspected frequently and actions should be taken when required. The reliability of the inspections of the health of a bridge could...