A 3-D Computational Model of Mesoscale Structure of Concrete with Polyhedron Aggregate

Concrete is a very complex material with a variety of inhomogeneities. Its overall mechanical response depends on the material properties of different composites. Furthermore, the inside configuration of concrete has significant influence on the crack initiation and damage evolution. In this sense, a mesoscale model which treats concrete as a heterogeneous material provides a powerful approach to study concrete deeply. The main work of this paper is to develop a method of generating 3-D numerical model which resembles real concrete in mesoscale. In this model, the concrete is regarded as a three-phase system consisting of coarse aggregate, mortar matrix and interfacial zones between them. The aggregate particles are supposed to have random polyhedral shapes which resemble crushed rocks. A packing algorithm applicable to polyhedrons is advanced to modify the distribution and compactness of aggregate.