Hygro-Thermal Modelling of Concrete Exposed to High Temperatures

Abstract

As part of an ongoing research project into the numerical prediction of high temperature hygral processes in concrete and fire induced spalling, a fully coupled hygro-thermal model has been formulated for predicting the behaviour of concrete at high temperatures. The hygro-thermal model is a mathematical model for predicting the behaviour of concrete at high temperatures, treating the concrete as a multi-phase semi-saturated porous material. A numerical simulation of a one-dimensional heating experiment performed on an unreinforced concrete slab is presented, demonstrating the effectiveness of the model. A brief discussion of the main hygral processes is presented, in addition to a discussion of numerical challenges arising from the numerical implementation.