Sensitivity of the strength and toughness of concrete to the properties of the interfacial transition zone

Torrence, C. E.; Trageser, J. E.; Jones, R. E.; Rimsza, J. M.

doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.126875

Sensitivity of the strength and toughness of concrete to the properties of the interfacial transition zone

Journal Article · Mon Apr 25 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Construction and Building Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.126875· OSTI ID:1872029

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Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)

We report Civil infrastructure is made primarily of concrete structures or components and therefore understanding durability and fracture behavior of concrete is of utmost importance. Concrete contains an interfacial transition zone (ITZ), a porous region surrounding the aggregates, that is often considered to be the weakest region in the concrete. The ITZ is poorly characterized and property estimates for the ITZ differ considerably. In this simulation study, representative concrete mesostructures are produced by packing coarse aggregates with realistic geometries into a mortar matrix. A meshless numerical method, peridynamics, is utilized to simulate the mechanical response including fracture under uniaxial compression and tension. The sensitivity of the stiffness and fracture toughness of the samples to the ITZ properties is computed, showing strong relationships between the ITZ properties and the effective modulus and effective yield strength of the concrete. These results provides insight into the influence of the poorly characterized ITZ on the stiffness and strength of concrete. This work showcases the applicability of peridynamics to concrete systems, matching experimental strength and modulus values. Additionally, relationships between the ITZ’s mechanical properties and the overall concrete strength and stiffness are presented to enable future design decisions.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0003525

OSTI ID:: 1872029

Report Number(s):: SAND2022-6829J; 706583

Journal Information:: Construction and Building Materials, Journal Name: Construction and Building Materials Vol. 336; ISSN 0950-0618

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
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Sensitivity of the strength and toughness of concrete to the properties of the interfacial transition zone

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