3D-Mesomechanical analysis of cracking and spalling of concrete subject to high temperatures

Abstract

In this paper, an existing meso-structural model for concrete which had been applied to the study of the mechanical effects of high temperatures in 2D, is extended to 3D, and to more complex coupled thermo-mechanical analysis. The material is idealized as a twophase compositein which all mesh lines (or surfaces in 3D) are potential cracks equipped with fracture-based zero-thickness interface elements. Different thermal expansion laws are assumed for matrix and particles, whereby the deformation mismatch can generate cracking. Temperature distributions are obtained from a separate thermal diffusionanalysis.The thermal analysis is first assumed uncoupled, but then also coupled with the mechanical analysis, as the layers of material spalloff and the boundary conditionsare moved to the new domain boundaries. The new computational results in 3D are compared to basic experimental observations reported in the literature and to the previous computational results obtained in 2D.