Multiscale Thermoelastic Analysis of the Thermal Expansion Coefficient and of Microscopic Thermal Stresses of Mature Concrete

Abstract

The thermal expansion coefficient and the microscopic thermal stresses of mature concrete depend on its microstructural composition and the internal relative humidity. This dependence is determined by means of thermoelastic multiscale analysis of concrete. The underlying multiscale model enables two types of scale transition. Firstly, bottom-up homogenization allows for the quantification of the thermal expansion coefficient and the elastic stiffness of concrete based on the Mori-Tanaka scheme. Secondly, top-down scale concentration gives access to the volume averaged stresses experienced by the cement paste, the fine and the coarse aggregates and, furthermore, to the stress states of the interfacial transition zones covering the aggregates. The proposed model is validated by comparing the predicted thermal expansion coefficient of concrete with independent sets of experimental measurements. Finally, sensitivity analyses are carried out to evaluate the influence of the volumetric composition and the internal relative humidity of concrete on the thermal expansion coefficient and the microscopic thermal stresses.