TY - JOUR
T1 - Finite element-based micromechanical modeling of the influence of phase properties on the elastic response of cementitious mortars
AU - Das, Sumanta
AU - Maroli, Amit
AU - Neithalath, Narayanan
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors gratefully acknowledge partial supports from the National Science Foundation (CMMI: 1130028 and 1463646 ) and an Infravation ERA-NET Plus grant (31109806.0001) at Arizona State University (ASU) towards this study. SD acknowledges the support from COE and CVE department at the University of Rhode Island (URI). The contents of this paper reflect the views of the authors who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the data presented herein, and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the funding agency, nor do the contents constitute a standard, specification, or a regulation.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016
PY - 2016/11/30
Y1 - 2016/11/30
N2 - This study reports the influence of inclusion stiffness and its distribution on the stress distributions in the microstructural phases of different cementitious mortars using microstructure-guided finite element simulations. Randomly generated periodic microstructures with single/multiple inclusion sizes and random spatial distribution, subjected to periodic boundary conditions and a strain-controlled virtual testing regime are chosen for final analysis. Numerical simulations reveal: (i) the differences in locations/magnitudes of stress concentrations as a function of inclusion stiffness and size distribution, and (ii) the sometimes detrimental influence of matrix and interface stiffening/strengthening on the overall composite response, leading to material design strategies when non-conventional inclusions are used in cementitious systems for special properties. The constitutive behavior in the linear elastic regime is extracted based on the predicted dominant principal stresses and strains in the representative area element. Thus, in addition to the microstructural phase stresses, this methodology also provides predictions of the composite elastic modulus, which are observed to be more reliable than those obtained from analytical prediction models.
AB - This study reports the influence of inclusion stiffness and its distribution on the stress distributions in the microstructural phases of different cementitious mortars using microstructure-guided finite element simulations. Randomly generated periodic microstructures with single/multiple inclusion sizes and random spatial distribution, subjected to periodic boundary conditions and a strain-controlled virtual testing regime are chosen for final analysis. Numerical simulations reveal: (i) the differences in locations/magnitudes of stress concentrations as a function of inclusion stiffness and size distribution, and (ii) the sometimes detrimental influence of matrix and interface stiffening/strengthening on the overall composite response, leading to material design strategies when non-conventional inclusions are used in cementitious systems for special properties. The constitutive behavior in the linear elastic regime is extracted based on the predicted dominant principal stresses and strains in the representative area element. Thus, in addition to the microstructural phase stresses, this methodology also provides predictions of the composite elastic modulus, which are observed to be more reliable than those obtained from analytical prediction models.
KW - Cementitious composite
KW - Constitutive behavior
KW - Finite elements
KW - Homogenization
KW - Microstructure
KW - Periodic boundary conditions
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U2 - 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.09.153
DO - 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.09.153
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84992426156
SN - 0950-0618
VL - 127
SP - 153
EP - 166
JO - Construction and Building Materials
JF - Construction and Building Materials
ER -