A Virtual Lab for multi-scale modeling of cementitious materials

Author(s): E.A.B. Koenders
Paper category: Conference
Book title: Concrete Repair, Rehabilitation and Retrofitting III (ICCRRR)
Editor(s): M.G. Alexander, H.-D. Beushausen, F. Dehn, P. Moyo
Print ISBN: 978-0-415-89952-9
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Pages: 158 – 159
Total Pages: 2
Language: English

Abstract: 
Simulating the physical, chemical, material and structural behaviours of cementitious materials has been a challenge to many researchers for many years. Comprehensive analytical and numerical models have been developed for all different scale levels and for all kinds of facets that characterise the materials typical behaviour. In the beginning these models were based on simplified empirical of analytical concepts that were considered to be sufficiently accurate to predict the materials behaviour of a relatively condensed problem mostly at a relatively high scale level (macro scale). Later, after the introduction of the personal computer more computation power became available that could be used to solve more complex models. This enabled the possibility to either simulate the materials behaviour at a more detailed scale level or to simulate more complex multifaceted models at the macro-scale. For cement-based materials, the introduction of the pixel—and particle-based hydration models developed at NIST and Delft could be identified as a milestone and the beginning of a new era in numerical modelling. In-depth schematizations of chemical, physical and morphological processes could be modelled explicitly enabling the simulation of the microstructural evolution of cementitious materials at micro-level scale. In between the micro and macro scale levels, meso-level models (e.g. lattice models) were developed that can be used to simulate fracture processes of two-phase composite systems, i.e. like concrete consisting of paste and aggregates. The latest trend in hydration modelling is to extend the level of modelling detail towards the nano-scale level and to model the development of hydration products explicitly. The development of CSH gel structures can now be schematized explicitly which brings together the formation of hydration products for a given chemical composition and its associated properties. With the introduction of the Virtual Lab called the “DelftCode” a multi-scale modelling lab is developed with the aim to line-up the models that are developed for their particular scale-level and to make the results compatible and interchangeable within the modelling framework. The result is a multi-scale simulation tool that covers 10 orders of magnitude, and allows to include various scale effects to be involved in the calculations. The tool can be used for design but also for maintenance and repair assessments of concrete structures.

Online publication: 2014
Publication Type: abstract_only
Public price (Euros): 0.00