Abstract
Concrete dams in cold regions are prone to frost damage under low temperature conditions. However, there are currently few investigations on the frost cracking mechanisms of concrete by considering the phase change from water to ice in fissures. In the present work, an improved numerical method for modelling frost deterioration of fissured concrete is proposed and validated under the SPH framework. The frost crack propagation of prefabricated fissures is simulated by the present numerical method, and various conditions such as fissure inclinations, aggregate and pore percentages, aggregate sizes are considered. The following conclusions can be drawn: At low temperatures, “main cracks” and “secondary cracks” originate from elliptical fissure surface. “Main crack” propagation is approximately along while the “secondary crack” propagation is approximately perpendicular to the original prefabricated fissure. The inclination angles of prefabricated fissures affect the frost crack morphologies by changing the relative positions of fissure tips, aggregates and pores. The aggregates have an “attracting” effect on frost cracks, and the aggregate percentages and sizes affect the frost crack morphologies by altering the aggregate distributions. The pores are easy to be connected during frost crack propagation, and the pore existence make the frost crack propagation paths more curved. By embedding the thermo-hydro-mechanical-damage model into SPH, this work aims to reveal the frost damage mechanisms in fissured concrete, providing a theoretical basis for the durability design and assessment of concrete structures in cold regions. Meanwhile, it also offers new ideas and methods for optimizing the application of the SPH algorithm in simulating concrete frost cracking, which helps to promote the development of numerical simulation technology in this field.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call