Experimental and Numerical Investigations on Concrete Abrasion of Hydraulic Structures

Abstract

Long-term abrasion has been a significant durability problem for hydraulic concrete structures. This work proposes combined experimental and numerical approaches in investigating concrete abrasion behaviors. A laboratory setup has been built to simulate the abrasion process of concrete subject to sediment particles transported by water similar to natural conditions. Three-dimensional (3D) scanning analyses of the abraded concrete samples are then conducted to investigate the abrasion surface morphology and quantify the abrasion depth. Based on the obtained experimental results, numerical calculation studies are performed, aiming to develop a model that can account for important mesoscale factors for concrete abrasion and predict the abrasion damage behaviors of concrete structures. Mesoscale concrete is modeled as a heterogeneous 3-phase material composed of coarse aggregate particles, cement mortar matrix, and interfacial transitional zones (ITZs). Numerical calculations based on the generated mesoscale model are carried out to further study the effects of the interfacial bond and aggregate distribution on the abrasion resistance of concrete. The preliminary results show that mesoscale properties of concrete are very relevant in understanding the abrasion mechanisms and behaviors.