Early-age autogenous shrinkage and stress characteristics of high-performance concrete at the mesoscopic level

Abstract

This paper presents a mesoscopic numerical model of high-performance concrete (HPC) based on industrial computed tomography scanning and image reconstruction technology. The paper also presents mesoscopic simulation results obtained for the autogenous shrinkage (AS) of HPC using a finite-element explicit algorithm by assuming that the concrete is an inhomogeneous composite material composed of mortar, aggregate and voids. The accuracy of this mesoscopic simulation method for the AS of HPC is demonstrated by comparison with experimental results. Additionally, the effect of the distribution and particle size of the aggregate and the AS of the mortar on the early-age AS of HPC was analysed. The distribution of the internal stress in the HPC and the effect of the distribution and particle size of the aggregate were determined, which can provide a basis for early-age cracking control in concrete.