A lattice approach to model flow in cracked concrete

TL;DR

This paper introduces a coupled lattice model combining mechanical damage and flow analysis to simulate how cracks affect fluid flow in concrete, demonstrating size-independent results in benchmark tests.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel dual lattice approach that integrates damage-plasticity mechanics with flow conduits, advancing modeling accuracy of cracked concrete.

Findings

Flow behavior depends on crack openings modeled by the lattice.

Results are consistent across different lattice sizes.

The approach effectively simulates flow in cracked concrete.

Abstract

This paper presents a lattice approach to model the influence of cracking on inviscid flow in concrete. A mechanical lattice model based on a damage-plasticity constitutive model was combined with a new dual lattice of conduit elements for flow analysis. The diffusivity of the conduit elements depends on the crack-opening obtained from the mechanical lattice. The coupled lattice model was applied to several benchmark tests for aligned and random lattices. The results for mechanical loading and flow analysis obtained with the new approach were shown to be independent of the size of lattice elements used.