The Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ) Between Cement Paste and Aggregate in Concrete

This paper describes the so called interfacial transition zone—ITZ—in concrete. This is the region of the cement paste around the aggregate particles, which is perturbed by the presence of the aggregate. Its origin lies in the packing of the cement grains against the much larger aggregate, which leads to a local increase in porosity and predominance of smaller cement particles in this region. The ITZ is region of gradual transition and is highly heterogeneous, nevertheless the average microstructural features may be measured by analysis of a large numbers of backscattered electron images of polished concrete samples. Such measurements show that the higher porosity present initially is significantly diminished by the migration of ions during hydration.     

Influence of mesoscale three-phase parameters to the tensile behavior of concrete

In the mesoscopic level, concrete is regarded as three-phase composite material with cement matrix, aggregate, and the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between them. The mechanical properties of ITZ are regarded weaker than those of the cement matrix and aggregate. In this study, a mesoscale mechanical model based on the interface specimen with a single aggregate is established to study the influence of three-phase parameters on the interface specimen under quasi-static and dynamic direct tensile loading. Besides, the loading rate effect is also considered in this study to further analyze the dynamic performance of ITZ and the whole interface specimen. According to the numerical results, it is indicated that the ITZ properties (elastic modulus and strength) play significant roles in the performance of the interface specimen under quasi-static direct tensile loading. However, the cement matrix is dominant to the mechanical properties of interface specimen under dynamic tensile loading. Moreover, the properties of ITZ (elastic modulus, strength, and DIF values) and the ITZ thickness have some influence on the dynamic performance of ITZ and the whole interface specimen under dynamic tensile loading. In contrast, the Poisson’s ratio and density of ITZ have little influence on the dynamic behavior of the whole interface specimen. Additionally, the aggregate diameter is influential to the time reaching peak stress of ITZ and the whole interface specimen, and the loading rate only influences the time to reach the peak stress of ITZ under dynamic tensile loading.     

Mesoscale simulation of concrete spall failure

Although intensively studied, it is still being debated which physical mechanisms are responsible for the increase of dynamic strength and fracture energy of concrete observed at high loading rates, and to what extent structural inertia forces on different scales contribute to the observation. We present a new approach for the three dimensional mesoscale modelling of dynamic damage and cracking in concrete. Concrete is approximated as a composite of spherical elastic aggregates of mm to cm size embedded in an elastic cement stone matrix. Cracking within the matrix and at aggregate interfaces in the μm range are modelled with adaptively inserted—initially rigid—cohesive interface elements. The model is applied to analyse the dynamic tensile failure observed in Hopkinson-Bar spallation experiments with strain rates up to 100/s. The influence of the key mesoscale failure parameters of strength, fracture energy and relative weakening of the ITZ on macromechanic strength, momentum and energy conservation is numerically investigated.     

Statistical Analysis of the Effect of Mineral Admixtures on the Strength of the Interfacial Transition Zone

Microscopic evidence indicates that the thickness of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between the aggregate and the cement paste is modified when mineral admixtures partially replace portland cement. Unfortunately, there is limited information on the significance of these microscopic modifications to the mechanical properties of the ITZ. This research reports experimental results on the shear and tensile strength of the ITZ as affected by the addition of the following mineral admixtures: silica fume, fly ash, and natural pozzolan. Statistical analysis was used to identify the significant parameters affecting the tensile and shear strength of the ITZ. Experimental results indicate that not only does the incorporation of silica fume and fly ash increase the strength of the ITZ, these mineral admixtures have a greater influence on the strength increase of the ITZ than in the strength increase of the cement paste.     

超声动载荷下三维随机骨料混凝土的损伤

混凝土是一种由粗骨料与水泥砂浆组成的非均质复合材料。本研究利用APDL语言程序编写三维水泥混凝土骨料随机投放程序并导入ABAQUS中,同时赋予各相材料塑性损伤本构关系来研究混凝土动态加载下的破坏规律,运用超声波在混凝土破碎中的作用机理对混凝土动态损伤破坏过程进行模拟研究。结果表明:随着超声动态载荷的增大,粗骨料体积分数为40%的混凝土始终能够承受最大应力载荷;随着超声应力波幅值增大,混凝土在动载荷下的损伤值逐渐增大,且粗骨料体积分数为40%时,其抗损伤能力最优;当粗骨料最大粒径逐渐增大,或者当粗骨料最小粒径增大,混凝土级配不合理导致性能不稳定,更易损伤破坏。     

粉末材料堆积的物理模型与仿真系统

研究了粉末材料堆积过程仿真的物理模型和系统,并探讨了适合多种不同粒径颗粒混合堆积过程仿真的高性能计算方法.在该仿真系统中,考虑了重力、接触力、阻尼力、摩擦力和范德瓦耳斯力等多种作用力的影响,集成了多种接触力模型和阻尼模型,使其适用于三维大规模粉末材料堆积过程的计算机仿真.利用该系统对粉末材料领域中的两个典型应用进行了模拟研究.模拟了两种相同密度不同粒径颗粒（粒径比为10）的混合堆积过程.当小颗粒数为大颗粒数的300倍时,得到最大的堆积密度（体积分数）为0.82.另外,还模拟了两种不同密度相同粒径颗粒的混合堆积过程.当堆积结束时,出现了明显的分离（segregation）现象和团聚现象.所研究的物理模型和仿真系统既可用于粉末材料堆积过程研究,亦可用于普通的球形物体堆积过程的模拟研究. 关键词： 粉末堆积 物理模型 仿真系统 离散元法     

A Monte Carlo and continuum study of mechanical properties of nanoparticle based films

A combination Monte Carlo and equivalent-continuum simulation approach was used to investigate the structure-mechanical property relationships of titania nanoparticle deposits. Films of titania composed of nanoparticle aggregates were simulated using a Monte Carlo approach with diffusion-limited aggregation. Each aggregate in the simulation is fractal-like and random in structure. In the film structure, it is assumed that bond strength is a function of distance with two limiting values for the bond strengths: one representing the strong chemical bond between the particles at closest proximity in the aggregate and the other representing the weak van der Waals bond between particles from different aggregates. The Young’s modulus of the film is estimated using an equivalent-continuum modeling approach, and the influences of particle diameter (5–100 nm) and aggregate size (3–400 particles per aggregate) on predicted Young’s modulus are investigated. The Young’s modulus is observed to increase with a decrease in primary particle size and is independent of the size of the aggregates deposited. Decreasing porosity resulted in an increase in Young’s modulus as expected from results reported previously in the literature.     

A probabilistic mechanical model for prediction of aggregates’ size distribution effect on concrete compressive strength

To predict aggregates’ size distribution effect on the concrete compressive strength, a probabilistic mechanical model is proposed. Within this model, a Voronoi tessellation of a set of non-overlapping and rigid spherical aggregates is used to describe the concrete microstructure. Moreover, aggregates’ diameters are defined as statistical variables and their size distribution function is identified to the experimental sieve curve. Then, an inter-aggregate failure criterion is proposed to describe the compressive-shear crushing of the hardened cement paste when concrete is subjected to uniaxial compression. Using a homogenization approach based on statistical homogenization and on geometrical simplifications, an analytical formula predicting the concrete compressive strength is obtained. This formula highlights the effects of cement paste strength and aggregates’ size distribution and volume fraction on the concrete compressive strength. According to the proposed model, increasing the concrete strength for the same cement paste and the same aggregates’ volume fraction is obtained by decreasing both aggregates’ maximum size and the percentage of coarse aggregates. Finally, the validity of the model has been discussed through a comparison with experimental results (15 concrete compressive strengths ranging between 46 and 106 MPa) taken from literature and showing a good agreement with the model predictions.     

Quantifying turbulence-induced segregation of inertial particles

Particles with different density from the advecting turbulent fluids cluster due to the different response of light and heavy particles to turbulent fluctuations. This study focuses on the quantitative characterization of the segregation of dilute polydisperse inertial particles evolving in turbulent flow, as obtained from direct numerical simulation of homogeneous isotropic turbulence. We introduce an indicator of segregation amongst particles of different inertia and/or size, from which a length scale r_{seg}, quantifying the segregation degree between two particle types, is deduced.     

矿物掺合料作为砂浆细集料的水化产物与光谱性能研究

粉煤灰、锂渣和钢渣作为工业废渣,等质量替代水泥时其利用率往往较低,为了大量地使用这些工业废渣。采用X射线单晶衍射仪、同步热分析仪、傅里叶红外光谱仪和电镜扫描分析方法,研究了锂渣、粉煤灰和钢渣替代细集料后砂浆的水化产物、光谱特性、微观形貌,并探讨了砂浆抗折/抗压强度随替代率(0%,30%,50%,70%和100%)增长的变化规律。研究结果表明：四种浆体的水化产物主要为CSH凝胶、Ca(OH)₂、少量的AFt和未水化的颗粒(Al₂O₃,SiO₂),其中水泥-锂渣浆体、水泥-粉煤灰浆体、水泥-钢渣浆体中的未水化颗粒还含有一定的Li₂O·Al₂O₃·SiO₂,Ca_1.56SiO_3.5·xH₂O和RO phas。四种浆体以3 467,3 438,2 923,2 348,1 638,1 429,1 111,1 000,768,696和462 cm-1为特征峰,但其峰强有所不同,其活性也不同,参与二次水化反应的程度也不同,因此,水泥-钢渣浆体中Ca(OH)₂的含量明显高于水泥-粉煤灰浆体和水泥-锂渣浆体的现象;但不管是矿物掺合料替代水泥还是细集料,都在浆体中发挥着火山灰活性和填充作用。含三种100%矿物掺合料砂浆的抗折强度和抗压强度均高于纯水泥砂浆,分别(锂渣、粉煤灰和钢渣)约高37.77%/51.88%,14.71%/11.70%,91.95%/34.88%,但其达到峰值的掺量不同。因此,采用矿物掺合料替代细集料是可行的,能大幅度提高工业废渣在混凝土行业中的使用,且能达到节能减排的效果。     

Workability and Mechanical Performance of Steel Fiber-Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete with Fly Ash

Steel fibers change the properties of hardened concrete significantly. However, addition of fibers to fresh concrete results in a loss of workability. Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is an innovative concrete that is able to flow under its own weight, completely filling formwork and achieving full compaction without vibration. We have studied composites of SCC with steel fibers for further property enhancement. Water/cement ratio and cement, fly ash and superplasticizer contents were kept constant at 0.40, 400, 120 and 6 kg/m³ , respectively. The fiber amounts were 15, 30, 45 and 60 kg/m³. Slump flow, J-ring and V-funnel tests were conducted for evaluating the fluidity, filling ability and segregation risk of the fresh concretes. There were no problems with mixing or workability while the fiber distribution was uniform. Steel fibers can significantly enhance toughness of SCC and inhibit the initiation and growth of cracks.     

Brownian dynamics simulations of a cubic haematite particle suspension with a more effective treatment of steric layer interactions

We have proposed a new repulsive layer model for describing the interaction between steric layers of coated cubic particles. This approach is an effective technique applicable to particle-based simulations such as a Brownian dynamics simulation of a suspension composed of cubic particles. 3D Brownian dynamics simulations employing this repulsive interaction model have been performed in order to investigate the equilibrium aggregate structures of a suspension composed of cubic haematite particles. It has been verified that Brownian dynamics employing the present steric interaction model are in good agreement with Monte Carlo results with respect to particle aggregate structures and particle orientational characteristics. From the viewpoint of developing a surface modification technology, we have also investigated a regime change in the aggregate structure of cubic particle in a quasi-2D system by means of Brownian dynamics simulations. If the magnetic particle–particle interaction strength is relatively strong, in zero applied magnetic field the particles aggregate in an offset face-to-face configuration. As the magnetic field strength is increased, the offset face-to-face structure is transformed into a more direct face-to-face contact configuration that extends throughout the whole simulation region.     

A molecular dynamics simulation of segregation behaviours of horizontally vibrated binary granular mixture

This paper performs the two-dimensional, soft-sphere molecular dynamics simulations to study the granular segregation in a binary granular mixture with the same size but different density in the container with the sawtooth base under horizontal vibration. The segregation phase diagram is presented in the acceleration-frequency space. When the acceleration is high enough to result in relative motions of the particles, the system can be in various states (mixed state, vertical and horizontal segregation state), which depend on both acceleration and frequency. Due to the sawtooth base there is stratified flow effect besides density effect. The density effect raises the light particles. The stratified flow drives the particles in the upper levels to the right and the particles in the lower particles to the left, those fact results in the appearance of the left segregation state. The left segregation state can be changed to the right segregation by changing the shape of the sawtooth. As the vibration frequency increases, the stratified flow effect becomes weaker and weaker, so at high vibration frequencies the vertical segregation state appears instead of the left segregation state.     

基于养护龄期的煅烧煤矸石细集料砂浆X射线衍射及扫描电镜分析

采用X射线衍射法(XRD)和环境扫描电镜(SEM)分析方法,研究了不同煅烧温度下煤矸石细集料的活性,针对活性最高的700 ℃高温煅烧煤矸石细集料砂浆的水化产物、微观结构和强度进行了探讨,并分析了砂浆强度随养护龄期(3,7,14,28,60和90 d)增长的变化规律。试验研究表明：煤矸石细集料随着煅烧温度的升高,其活性逐步增加,当煅烧温度达到700 ℃左右时,煤矸石细集料的活性达到最高,当煅烧温度继续升高时,活性呈下降趋势。经过700 ℃高温煅烧的煤矸石细集料具有明显的火山灰活性,其活性组分SiO₂和Al₂O₃能与水泥水化产物发生一定程度的二次水化反应,通过对不同养护龄期的活性最高的700 ℃高温煅烧煤矸石细集料砂浆XRD和SEM分析可知,随着养护龄期的增长,二次水化反应将更加充分,而且水化产物的数量也逐步增多,与早龄期的水泥砂浆相比,生成物相更为稳定的水化产物填充在砂浆的微观孔隙中,能够进一步改善砂浆的微观结构,增强砂浆的界面性能,使砂浆内部结构更加均匀,煅烧的煤矸石细集料和水泥砂浆更趋为一个坚固连续的整体,水泥硬化砂浆的后期强度有较大增幅,活性最高的700 ℃高温煅烧煤矸石细集料火山灰效应明显。     

Effects of container geometry on granular segregation pattern

In a set of vibrating quasi-two-dimensional containers with the right-hand sidewall bent inward, three new segregation patterns have been identified experimentally including a Two-Side segregation Pattern, a Left-hand Side segregation Pattern and a pattern where big particles aggregate to the upper left part of the container. In a container with small bending degree, either the two-side segregation pattern or the left-hand side segregation pattern is stable, which is determined by the initial distribution of particles.     

Granular species segregation under vertical tapping: effects of size, density, friction, and shaking amplitude

We present extensive molecular dynamics simulations on species segregation in a granular mixture subject to vertical taps. We discuss how grain properties, e.g., size, density, friction, as well as shaking properties, e.g., amplitude and frequency, affect such a phenomenon. Both the Brazil nut effect (larger particles on the top, BN) and the reverse Brazil nut effect (larger particles on the bottom, RBN) are found and we derive the system comprehensive "segregation diagram" and the BN to RBN crossover line. We also discuss the role of friction and show that particles which differ only for their frictional properties segregate in states depending on the tapping acceleration and frequency.     

The robustness in dynamics of out of equilibrium bidirectional transport systems with constrained entrances

Macroscopic and microscopic long-distance bidirectional transfer depends on connections between entrances and exits of various transport mediums. Persuaded by the associations, we introduce a small system module of Totally Asymmetric Simple Exclusion Process including oppositely directed species of particles moving on two parallel channels with constrained entrances. The dynamical rules which characterize the system obey symmetry between the two species and are identical for both the channels. The model displays a rich steady-state behavior, including symmetry breaking phenomenon. The phase diagram is analyzed theoretically within the mean-field approximation and substantiated with Monte Carlo simulations. Relevant mean-field calculations are also presented. We further compared the phase segregation with those observed in previous works, and it is examined that the structure of phase separation in proposed model is distinguished from earlier ones. Interestingly, for phases with broken symmetry, symmetry with respect to channels has been observed as the distinct particles behave differently while the similar type of particles exhibits the same conduct in the system. For symmetric phases, significant properties including currents and densities in the channels are identical for both types of particles. The effect of symmetry breaking occurrence on the Monte Carlo simulation results has also been examined based on particle density histograms. Finally, phase properties of the system having strong size dependency have been explored based on simulations findings.     

Experimental study of wave dispersion and attenuation in concrete

Results from an experimental study concerning wave propagation in cementitious materials are presented in this paper. Narrow band pulses at several frequencies were introduced into specimens of cement paste, mortar and concrete allowing direct measurement of longitudinal wave velocities and amplitude for each frequency. It is shown that aggregate content play an important role in wave propagation increasing considerably the wave velocity, while the aggregate size seems to control the attenuation observed. Slight velocity variations observed with frequency are discussed in relation to the degree of inhomogeneity of the materials.     

在无标度网络上基于偏好聚集机理的零区域凝聚现象

为了理解在真实网络中偏好聚集机理如何影响交通输运系统的粒子稳定态分布,研究了基于偏好聚集机理的零区域作用(zero range process,ZRP)凝聚现象.与以往采用巨正则系综方法处理ZRP问题不同,通过平均场速率方程解析得到了系统的相变点和稳定态分布情况.研究发现当存在正偏好聚集时,随着粒子跳跃速率的增大,系统呈现出三种不同的相：完全凝聚相、部分凝聚相、均匀相;当存在负偏好聚集机理时,系统只出现两相：部分凝聚相、均匀相.不同于无权与加权网络交通情况,系统的稳定态分布依赖于边权、粒子跳跃速率以及偏好 关键词： 无标度网络 零区域作用 偏好聚集 平均场速率方程