Simulation of chemo-thermo-mechanical problems in cement-based materials with Peridynamics

A chemo-thermo-mechanical problem is solved using a peridynamic approach to investigate crack propagation in non-reinforced concrete at early-age. In the present study, the temperature evolution and the variation of the hydration degree in conjunction with the mechanical behaviour of cement-based materials are examined. Firstly, a new peridynamic model is introduced to solve fully coupled chemo-thermal problems by satisfying thermal equilibrium condition and hydration law simultaneously and then the effects of the chemo-thermal analysis are imposed in the mechanical framework to investigate all the interactions. The proposed approach is used to solve 2D chemo-thermo-elastic problems and then it is applied to investigate the fracture of concrete structures. Additionally, we examine the accuracy of the method by comparing the crack paths, temperature and hydration degree with those achieved by applying other numerical methods and the experimental data available in the literature. A good agreement is obtained between all sets of results.