Modelling of transport processes in concrete exposed to elevated temperatures – An alternative formulation for sorption isotherms

Davie, C.T., Pearce, C.J. , Kukla, K. and Bićanić, N. (2018) Modelling of transport processes in concrete exposed to elevated temperatures – An alternative formulation for sorption isotherms. Cement and Concrete Research, 106, pp. 144-154. (doi: 10.1016/j.cemconres.2018.01.012)

Abstract

There is a significant need to understand, analyse and assess moisture transport in cementitious materials exposed to elevated temperatures in order to confidently predict the behaviour and ultimately the development of damage in safety critical applications such as nuclear reactor vessels, structures exposed to fire and well bore grouts. In view of this need a rigorous and robust formulation to describe water retention curves (sorption isotherms) as a function of temperature based on the evolution of physical parameters is presented. The model formulation is successfully validated against independent sets of experimental data up to temperatures of 80 °C. It is then further validated under isothermal drying conditions and then high temperature conditions through the numerical reproduction of laboratory experiments following implementation in a fully coupled hygro-thermo-mechanical finite element model. The new formulation is found to work well under a variety of conditions in a variety of cementitious material types.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Bicanic, Professor Nenad and Pearce, Professor Chris
• Authors: Davie, C.T., Pearce, C.J., Kukla, K., and Bićanić, N.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Infrastructure and Environment
• Journal Name: Cement and Concrete Research
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0008-8846
• ISSN (Online): 1873-3948
• Published Online: 19 January 2018
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd.
• First Published: First published in Cement and Concrete Research 2018
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher