Tomography reconstruction of concrete materials for mesoscale modelling
ISSN: 0264-4401
Article publication date: 27 February 2020
Issue publication date: 18 June 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is the numerical assessment of concrete behaviour close to failure, via the development of robust elastoplastic models inclusive of damage effects. If mesoscale investigations are to be considered, the model must take into account the local confinement effects because of the presence of aggregate inclusions in the cement paste and, correspondingly, the possibility to account for local 3D stress states even under uniaxial compression. Additionally, to enhance the predictive capabilities of a mesoscale representation, the reconstructed geometry must accurately follow the real one.
Design/methodology/approach
The work provides a procedure that combines a 3D digital image technique with finite element (FE) modelling thus maintaining the original 3D morphology of the composite.
Findings
The potentialities of the proposed approach are discussed, giving new insights to a FE modelling (FEM)-based approach applied together with a computer-aided design. Coupled mechanisms of mechanical mismatch and confinement, characterizing the combined cement matrix-aggregates effect, are captured and highlighted via the numerical tests.
Originality/value
The novelty of this research work lies in the proposal of a digitally based methodology for a precise concrete reconstruction together with the adoption of an upgraded elastic–plastic damage model for the cement paste.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge Professor Gianmaria Concheri and his research group (Dept. ICEA – University of Padova) and UNILAB LABORATORI INDUSTRIALI, for providing the 3D laser scanner equipment, the Industrial Computed Tomography and for their advice and valuable comments during this research.
Funding: Financial support from the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) in the framework of the Project PRIN 2017 No. 2017HFPKZY is gratefully acknowledged.
Citation
Mazzucco, G., Pomaro, B., Xotta, G., Maiorana, C.E. and Salomoni, V.A. (2020), "Tomography reconstruction of concrete materials for mesoscale modelling", Engineering Computations, Vol. 37 No. 7, pp. 2275-2291. https://doi.org/10.1108/EC-10-2019-0448
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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