A micromechanics-based model for stiffness and strength estimation of cocciopesto mortars

TL;DR

This paper introduces a cost-effective micromechanics model for estimating the stiffness and strength of cocciopesto mortars, emphasizing the roles of microstructural features and particle sizes.

Contribution

It presents a novel micromechanics-based scheme using the Mori-Tanaka method, incorporating microstructural details for accurate property predictions of cocciopesto mortars.

Findings

Model accurately reproduces literature data

Predictions are sensitive to particle sizes and microstructural features

Framework based on physically meaningful parameters

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to propose an inexpensive micromechanics-based scheme for stiffness homogenization and strength estimation of mortars containing crushed bricks, known as cocciopesto. The model utilizes the Mori-Tanaka method to determine the effective stiffness, combined with estimates of quadratic invariants of the deviatoric stresses inside phases to predict the compressive strength. Special attention is paid to the representation of C-S-H gel layer around bricks and interfacial transition zone around sand aggregates, which renders the predictions sensitive to particle sizes. Several parametric studies are performed to demonstrate that the method correctly reproduces data and trends reported in available literature. Moreover, the model is based exclusively on parameters with clear physical or geometrical meaning and as such it provides a convenient framework for its further experimental validation.