3D multi-scale modeling of mortar mechanical behavior and effects of microstructural changes

A 3D numerical modeling of mortar at the micro and meso-level is presented. Two numerical tools are combined to predict mechanical behavior of mortar. An explicit digital microstructure of a portland cement paste containing the different phases is obtained using NIST’s CEMHYD3D and starting from the mineralogical composition of the cement and water-to-cement ratio. An explicit digital meso-structure of a mortar is also obtained using CEMHYD3D and considering it as a heterogeneous material composed of sand particles embedded in a hardened cement paste. The 3D pixelized images are then converted to Finite Elements meshes compatible with the FE software Abaqus. This code is then used to predict the mechanical behavior at the different scales. The outcomes of the simulation at the micro-scale are used at the meso-level modeling. This approach is then applied to investigate the durability and the mechanical behavior evolution of concrete structures submitted to leaching by water.