Multi-scale based Simulation of Shear Critical Reinforced Concrete Beams Subjected to Drying

Abstract

The impact of drying at both material and structural levels is discussed based on the multi-scale thermo-mechanistic modeling. The effects of hygral states at nano to micro scales on the macro scale mechanics are focused on. It is quanti-tatively confirmed that the moisture state-dependent tensile strength and crack-dependent moisture diffusivity models play a key role in tackling with the responses of reinforced concrete (RC) members subjected to combined hygro-mechanical actions. Full 3D thermo-mechanics simulation of shear critical RC beams with effective depths, which ranges from 250mm to 1000mm, is carried out from the onset of casting. It is found that the impact of drying increases with the increasing effective depth at the constant beam width. Overall, it is emphasized that linkage of material science and structural mechanics is indispensable for holistic understanding of RC members under coupled mechanical loading and drying. The multi-scale analytical scheme is proved to be applicable for the performance assessment of RC mem-bers at ultimate states as well.