Multi-Phase Modelling of Concrete Affected by Sulfate Attack

Abstract

This study focuses on the modeling of damage in concrete subject to sulfate attack. The concrete is described as a multiphase material made of a solid skeleton, a fluid phase including water and air and an expanding phase, which exerts a pressure capable of damaging the concrete surrounding the reactive sites. The moisture content is computed through a simplified diffusion model, then a reactive-diffusion model allows for the computation of the expansive products of the reaction occurring between the aluminates of the cement paste and the incoming sulfate ions.