• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.289-298
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• 2019

Reinforced concrete can be considered as a heterogeneous material consisting of coarse aggregate, mortar mix and reinforcing bars. This paper presents a two-dimensional mesoscopic analysis of reinforced concrete beams using a simple two-phase mesoscopic model for concrete. The two phases of concrete, coarse aggregate and mortar mix are bonded together with reinforcement bars so that inter force transfer will occur through the material surfaces. Monte Carlo's method is used to generate the random aggregate structure using the constitutive model at mesoscale. The generated models have meshed such that there is no material discontinuity within the elements. The proposed model simulates the load-deflection behavior, crack pattern and ultimate load of reinforced concrete beams reasonably well.

• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.23-37
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• 2010

Concrete is a heterogeneous material consisting of coarse aggregate, mortar matrix and interfacial zones at the meso level. Though studies have been done to interpret the fracture process in concrete using meso level models, not much work has been done for simulating the macroscopic behaviour of reinforced concrete structures using the meso level models. This paper presents a procedure for the mesoscopic analysis of reinforced concrete beams using a modified micro truss model. The micro truss model is derived based on the framework method and uses the lattice meshes for representing the coarse aggregate (CA), mortar matrix, interfacial zones and reinforcement bars. A simple procedure for generating a random aggregate structure is developed using the constitutive model at meso level. The study reveals the potential of the mesoscopic numerical simulation using a modified micro truss model to predict the nonlinear response of reinforced concrete structures. The modified micro truss model correctly predicts the load-deflection behaviour, crack pattern and ultimate load of reinforced concrete beams failing under different failure modes.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.215-231
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• 2011

As a brittle and heterogeneous material, concrete behaves differently under different stress conditions and its bulk strength is loading rate dependent. To a large extent, the varying behavioural properties of concrete can be explained by the mechanical failure processes at a mesoscopic level. The development of a computational mesoscale model in a general finite element environment, as presented in the preceding companion paper (Part 1), makes it possible to investigate into the underlying mechanisms governing the bulk-scale behaviour of concrete under a variety of loading conditions and to characterise the variation in quantitative terms. In this paper, we first present a series of parametric studies on the behaviour of concrete material under quasi-static compression and tension conditions. The loading-face friction effect, the possible influences of the non-homogeneity within the mortar and ITZ phases, and the effect of randomness of coarse aggregates are examined. The mesoscale model is then applied to analyze the dynamic behaviour of concrete under high rate loading conditions. The potential contribution of the mesoscopic heterogeneity towards the generally recognized rate enhancement of the material compressive strength is discussed.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.471-484
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• 2018

Refined analysis depicting mass transportation and physicochemical reaction and reasonable computing load with acceptable DOFs are the two major challenges of numerical simulation for concrete durability. Mesoscopic numerical simulation for chloride diffusion considering binder, aggregate and interfacial transition zone is unable to be expended to the full structure due to huge number of DOFs. In this paper, a multiscale approach of combining both mesoscopic model including full-graded aggregate and equivalent macroscopic model was introduced. An equivalent conversion of chloride content at the Interfacial Transition Layer (ITL) connecting both models was considered. Feasibility and relative error were discussed by analytical deduction and numerical simulation. Case study clearly showed that larger analysis model in multiscale model expanded the diffusion space of chloride ion and decreased chloride content in front of rebar. Difference for single-scale simulation and multiscale approach was observed. Finally, this paper addressed some worth-noting conclusions about the chloride distribution and rebar corrosion regarding the configuration of rebar placement, rebar diameter, concrete cover and exposure period.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.69-80
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• 2019

Modeling approach for mesoscopic model of concrete depicting mass transportation and physicochemical reaction is important since there is growing demand for accuracy and computational efficiency of numerical simulation. Mesoscopic numerical simulation considering binder, aggregate and Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ) generally produces huge number of DOFs, which is inapplicable for full structure. In this paper, a three-dimensional multiscale approach describing three-phase structure of concrete was discussed numerically. An effective approach generating random aggregate in polygon based on checking centroid distance was introduced. Moreover, ITZ elements were built by parallel expanding the surface of aggregates on inner side. By combining mesoscopic model including full-graded aggregate and macroscopic model, cases related to diffusivity and thickness of ITZ, volume fraction and grade of aggregate were studied regarding the consideration of multiscale compensation. Results clearly showed that larger analysis model in multiscale model expanded the diffusion space of chloride ion and decreased chloride content in front of rebar. Finally, this paper addressed some worth-noting conclusions about the chloride distribution and rebar corrosion regarding the configuration of, rebar diameter, concrete cover and exposure period.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.121-130
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• 2024

Many foundation projects are built on red-bed soft rocks, and the damage evolution of this kind of rocks affects the safety of these projects. At present, there is insufficient research on the damage evolution of red-bed soft rocks, especially the progressive process from mesoscopic texture change to macroscopic elastoplastic deformation. Therefore, based on the dual-porosity characteristics of pores and fissures in soft rock, we adopted a cellular automata model to simulate the propagation of these voids in soft rocks under an external load. Further, we established a macro-mesoscopic damage model of red-bed soft rocks, and its reliability was verified by tests. The results indicate that the relationship between the number and voids size conformed to a quartic polynomial, whereas the relationship between the damage variable and damage porosity conformed to a logistic curve. The damage porosity was affected by dual-porosity parameters such as the fractal dimension of pores and fissures. We verified the reliability of the model by comparing the test results with an established damage model. Our research results described the progressive process from mesoscopic texture change to macroscopic elastoplastic deformation and provided a theoretical basis for the damage evolution of these rocks.

• Journal of the Korea Society for Simulation
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.47-58
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• 2001

Evaluation of Freeway Congestion Management Using Mesoscopic Traffic Simulator A mesoscopic simulation study to measure the effects of trip generation caused by rampant expansion of residential area around the Kyungbu corridor has been conducted. Some alternatives, which seem to be judgememtally plausible and technically feasible to mitigate such congestion, have been carefully examined and evaluated by the simulation model called INTEGRATION. Alternatives are mostly network improvements. Banpo IC dedicated ramp construction (A1), Seocho IC TSM based weaving elimination (A2), dedicated local and express separation over Seocho-Yangjae segment (A3), Heonleung IC (A4) and Daewang If installations (A5), Pangyo IC improvement (A6), Baikhyun IC (A7) and Dongbaek IC installations (A8) along with Shingal-Pangyo segment capacity addition (A9). The most capital intensive ones are A9, A5, and A4 in that order. A1, A6, A7, and A8 are short in distance but they are also capital intensive and need some construction periods. The least capital driven alternatives are h2 and A3, the h2 is easier to do, but A3 needs traffic diversion scheme during construction. The A1, A7, and A8 have been identified cost effective in terms of speed increase and travel time saving. Along with these results, some limitations and future research agenda regarding simulation have also been presented.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.453-463
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• 2006

Molecular simulation is an exceptionally useful method for predicting self-assembled structures in various macromolecular systems, enlightening the origins of many interesting molecular events such as protein folding, polymer micellization, and ordering of molten block copolymer. The length scales of those events ranges widely from sub-nanometer scale to micron-scale or to even larger, which is the main obstacle to simulate all the events in an ab initio principle. In order to detour this major obstacle in the molecular simulation approach, a molecular model can be rebuilt by sacrificing some unimportant molecular details, based on two different perspectives with respect to the resolution of model. These two perspectives are generally referred to as 'atomistic' and 'mesoscopit'. This paper reviews various simulation methods for macromolecular self-assembly in both atomistic and mesoscopic perspectives.

• Spatial Information Research
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.33-41
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• 2013

Recently, the number of disasters has been seriously increasing. The total damages by the natural or man-made disasters during the past years resulted in tremendous fatalities and recovery costs. It is necessary to have efficient emergency evacuation management which is concerned with identifying evacuation route, and the estimation of evacuation and clearance times. An emergency evacuation model is important in identifying critical locations, and developing various evacuation strategies. In that existing evacuation models have focused on route analysis for indoor evacuation, there are only a few models for areawide emergency evacuation analysis. Therefore, we developed a mesoscopic model by using Cube Avenue and performed evacuation simulation, targeting road network in City of Fargo, North Dakota. Consequently, a mesoscopic model developed in this study is used to carry out dynamic analysis using network and input variable of existing travel demand model. The results of this study show that the model is an appropriate tool for areawide emergency evacuation analysis to save time and cost. Henceforth, the results of this study can be applied to develop a disaster evacuation model which can be used for a variety of disaster simulation and evaluation based on scenarios in the local metropolitan area.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.181-194
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• 2006

The masonry is a complex heterogeneous material and its shear deformation and fracture is associated with very complicated progressive failures in masonry structure, and is investigated in this paper using a mesoscopic mechanical modelling, Considering the heterogeneity of masonry material, based on the damage mechanics and elastic-brittle theory, the newly developed Material Failure Process Analysis (MFPA) system was brought out to simulate the cracking process of masonry, which was considered as a three-phase composite of the block phase, the mortar phase and the block-mortar interfaces. The crack propagation processes simulated with this model shows good agreement with those of experimental observations by other researchers. This finding indicates that the shear fracture of masonry observed at the macroscopic level is predominantly caused by tensile damage at the mesoscopic level. Some brittle materials are so weak in tension relative to shear that tensile rather than shear fractures are generated in pure shear loading.