Modelling and simulations of the chemo-mechanical behaviour of leached cement-based materials: Interactions between damage and leaching

• Published in: Cement and concrete research 2010-08, Vol.40 (8), p.1226-1236
• Main Authors: Stora, E., Bary, B., He, Q.-C., Deville, E., Montarnal, P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; BEHAVIOR; Building failures (cracks, physical changes, etc.); BUILDING MATERIALS; Buildings. Public works; Cement concrete constituents; CEMENTS; Computation methods. Tables. Charts; Computer simulation; CONCRETES; Concretes. Mortars. Grouts; DAMAGE; Degradation (C); DIFFUSION; Diffusion (C); DISSOLUTION; Durability. Pathology. Repairing. Maintenance; ELASTICITY; Engineering Sciences; Exact sciences and technology; General (composition, classification, performance, standards, patents, etc.); Homogenizing; INTERACTIONS; LEACHING; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; MATERIALS SCIENCE; Mathematical models; MECHANICAL PROPERTIES; Mechanical properties (C); Mechanics; Micromechanics (C); Modeling (E); Physics; Platforms; Properties and test methods; Properties of anhydrous and hydrated cement, test methods; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT; SEPARATION PROCESSES; SIMULATION; Solid mechanics; Structural analysis. Stresses; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT
• ISSN: 0008-8846; 1873-3948
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cemconres.2010.04.002

The assessment of the durability of cement-based materials, which could be employed in underground structures for nuclear waste disposal, requires accounting for deterioration factors, such as chemical attacks and damage, and for the interactions between these phenomena. The objective of the present paper consists in investigating the long-term behaviour of cementitious materials by simulating their response to chemical and mechanical solicitations. In a companion paper (Stora et al., submitted to Cem. Concr. Res. 2008), the implementation of a multi-scale homogenization model into an integration platform has allowed for evaluating the evolution of the mineral composition, diffusive and elastic properties inside a concrete material subjected to leaching. To complete this previous work, an orthotropic micromechanical damage model is presently developed and incorporated in this numerical platform to estimate the mechanical and diffusive properties of damaged cement-based materials. Simulations of the chemo-mechanical behaviour of leached cementitious materials are performed with the tool thus obtained and compared with available experiments. The numerical results are insightful about the interactions between damage and chemical deteriorations.