Revisiting shapesize effect formulation of EUROCODE 2 for structural concrete members

Shamseldin Abdo, R. Wan-Wendner, R. Caspeele, Suresh Seetharam, Quoc Tri Phung

Research outputpeer-review

Abstract

The mechanism of concrete shrinkage is mainly controlled by the relative humidity (RH) gradient in its pore-structure. The change in the RH in the long term is mainly controlled by moisture diffusivity and saturation degree, which are affected by many internal and/or external factors. In this paper, the impact of size and shape of the concrete member on the RH gradient and hence the shrinkage behaviour of the member, is explored. Generally, there are many engineering 1D models for time-dependent deformation that can predict the size/shape effect on concrete shrinkage using a parameter called the notional size (h0) defined by the ratio between the total area of the member’s cross-section to the perimeter of the surface that is in contact with the outer environment. A key contribution of this paper is re- examination of the capability of Eurocode 2 to capture shape and size effects that has so far not been accounted for. This is achieved via computationally intensive 3D numerical analysis of different shapes and sizes of concrete members. For the numerical analysis, a Hygro- Thermo-Chemical (HTC) model with elasticity is used, which essentially incorporates heat diffusion, moisture diffusion, hydration reaction and shrinkage. 3D simulations of different shapes and sizes of concrete structural members suggest that the notional size parameter in its present form may be insufficient and does not capture the shape effect, leading to a proposal of shape factors.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLife-Cycle of Structures and Infrastructure Systems
PublisherTaylor & Francis (CRC)
Pages3070-3077
Number of pages8
Edition1st
ISBN (Electronic)9781003323020
DOIs
StatePublished - 2 Jul 2023
Event2023 - IALCCE: 8th International Symposium on Life-Cycle Civil Engineering - Politecnico di Milano, Milan
Duration: 2 Jul 20236 Jul 2023
https://ialcce2023.org/

Conference

Conference2023 - IALCCE
Country/TerritoryItaly
CityMilan
Period2023-07-022023-07-06
Internet address

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