Abstract
In the paper a combined experimental and numerical approach to understanding the mechanical behaviour of concrete is outlined. Concrete is a very complicated material with a distinct material structure at the micro-, meso- and macro-level. Heterogeneities are encountered at each of these levels. Quite obvious are both the structure of cement at the micro-level [10-8-10-6 m] and the particle structure of concrete at the meso-level [10-3 m]. Less obvious is the heterogeneity at a more global level [10-1-10-0 m], which is caused by wall effects, segregation, bleeding, non-uniform drying and compaction techniques during manufacturing of the material. The mechanical behaviour of concrete is the result of the interplay between stress-concentrations caused by the various heterogeneities at the three aforementioned levels, and the global loading applied to the structure under consideration. To describe the behaviour of concrete different types of models are needed; namely a model for hydration and structure development of cement, a model for moisture flow and a fracture model. The interaction between simple models and experiments is essential to come to a tool for the design of new types of concretes. In the paper attention focuses on the application of lattice type models for fracture of concrete under tensile loading. The model describes several observed physical mechanisms very well, and can be used to model size/scale effects. With regard to size/scale effects on fracture, the application of lattice type models is essential up to the transition length scale, after which the effects of heterogeneity at different levels of observation goes unnoticed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bentz, D.P., Coveney, P.V., Garboczi, E.J., Kleyn, M.F. and Stutzman, P.E. (1994), Cellular automaton simulations of cement hydration and microstructure development, Modelling Simul. Mater. Sci. Eng., 2, 783–808.
Herrmann, HJ., Hansen, H. and Roux, S. (1989), Fracture of disordered elastic lattices in two dimensions, Phys. Rev. B, 39, 637–648.
Hordijk, D.A., Reinhardt, H.W. and Cornelissen, H.A.W. (1987), Fracture mechanics parameters of concrete from uniaxial tensile tests as influenced by specimen length, in Proc. SEMIRILEM Int’l. Conf. ‘Fracture of Concrete and Rock’, S.P. Shah & S.E. Swartz (eds), SEM, Bethel (CD, USA, 138–149.
Hrennikoff, A. (1941), Solutions of problems of elasticity by the framework method, J. Appl. Mech., 12, A169–A175.
Küntz, M., Van Mier, J.G.M. and Lavall6e (2000), A lattice gas automaton simulation of the non-linear diffusion equation: a model for moisture flow in unsaturated porous media, Transp Porous Media, in press.
Lilliu G., Van Mier J.G.M. and Van Vliet M.R.A. (1999), Analysis of crack growth of the Brazilian test: Experiments and lattice analysis, In Proc. ICM8 Progress in Mechanical Behaviour of Materials, Vol. I ‘Fatigue and Fracture’, Ellyin J. and Provan J.W. (eds.), 273–278.
Schlangen, E. (1993), Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Fracture Processes in Concrete, PhD thesis, Delft University of Technology,.
Schlangen E. and Van Mier J.G.M. i 1992), Experimental and numerical analysis of the micromechanisms, of fracture of cement-based composites, Cem. Conc. Comp. 14, 105–18.
Schlangen, E. and Van Mier, J.G.M. (1994), Fracture simulations in concrete and rock using a random lattice, In Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics, Siriwardane, H. & Zaman, M.M. (eds.), Balkerna, Rotterdam, 1641–1646
Van Mier, J.G.M. (1986), Fracture of concrete under complex stress, HERON, 31, 1–90.
Van Mier, J.G.M. (1991), Mode I fracture of concrete: Discontinuous crack growth and crack interface grain bridging, Cem. Conc. Res., 21(1), 1–15.
Van Mier, J.G.M. (1997), Fracture Processes of Concrete, CRC Press, Boca Raton (FL), USA, 448 p.
Van Mier, J.G.M., Schlangen, E. and Vervuurt, A., (1995), Lattice type fracture models for concrete, Chapter 10 in Continuum Models for Materials with Microstructure, H.B. Mühlhaus (ed.), Wiley, Chichester, 341–377.
Van Mier, J.G.M., Schlangen E. and Vervuurt, A. (1996), Tensile cracking in concrete and sandstone, Part 2: Effect of boundary rotations, Mater. Struct. (RILEM), 29, 87–96.
Van Vliet, M.R.A. (2000), Size Effect in Tensile Fracture of Concrete and Rock, PhD thesis, Delft University of Technology.
Van Vliet, M.R.A. and Van Mier, J.G.M. (2000), Effect of strain gradients on the size effect of concrete in uniaxial tension, Int. J. Fract. 95, 195–219.
Vervuurt, A. (1997), Interface Fracture in Concrete, PhD thesis, Delft University of Technology.
Vervuurt, A., Schlangen, E. and Van Mier, J.G.M. (1996), Tensile cracking in concrete and sandstone, Part 1: Basic instruments, Mater. Struct. (RILEM), 29, 9–18.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mier, J.G.M. (2001). Damage of Concrete: Application of Network Simulations. In: Bouchaud, E., Jeulin, D., Prioul, C., Roux, S. (eds) Physical Aspects of Fracture. NATO Science Series, vol 32. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0656-9_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0656-9_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-7147-2
Online ISBN: 978-94-010-0656-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive