Numerical investigation of the coupled mechanical behavior of self-healing materials under cyclic loading

Abstract

Self-healing structural materials are recognized as a cost effective and sustainable promising alternative to traditional maintenance methods of civil infrastructures. Great advances are being evidenced both in the synthesis/manufacturing and experimental characterization of these materials. However, there is limited information about reliable models which theoretically describe the observed behavior to be used as a useful design tool. In this paper a mechano-chemical-diffusive coupled model is introduced to represent the mechanical behavior of self-healing structural materials. Self-healing is restricted to precipitation of products within the matrix via an external agent, and is mathematically written by a set of reaction-diffusion equations. Mechanical behavior is modeled following classical continuous irreversible damage mechanics approaches. The overall model is numerically coupled and implemented in a finite element framework. The availability of the model is shown in the investigation of the self-healing mechanical behavior of a beam structure subjected to different regimes of cyclic loading – healing conditions.