The base force element method (BFEM) on potential energy principle is used to analyze recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) on mesolevel. The model of BFEM with triangular element is derived. The recycled aggregate concrete is taken as five-phase composites consisting of natural coarse aggregate, new mortar, new interfacial transition zone (ITZ), old mortar, and old ITZ on meso-level. The random aggregate model is used to simulate the mesostructure of recycled aggregate concrete. The mechanics properties of uniaxial compression and tension tests for RAC are simulated using the BFEM, respectively. The simulation results agree with the test results. This research method is a new way for investigating fracture mechanism and numerical simulation of mechanics properties for recycled aggregate concrete.
By using the Base Force Element Method (BFEM) on potential energy principle, a new numerical concrete model, random convex aggregate model, is presented in this paper to simulate the experiment under uniaxial compression for recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) which can also be referred to as recycled concrete. This model is considered as a heterogeneous composite which is composed of five mediums, including natural coarse aggregate, old mortar, new mortar, new interfacial transition zone (ITZ), and old ITZ. In order to simulate the damage processes of RAC, a curve damage model was adopted as the damage constitutive model and the strength theory of maximum tensile strain was used as the failure criterion in the BFEM on mesomechanics. The numerical results obtained in this paper which contained the uniaxial compressive strengths, size effects on strength, and damage processes of RAC are in agreement with experimental observations. The research works show that the random convex aggregate model and the BFEM with the curve damage model can be used for simulating the relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties of RAC.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to present a two-dimensional (2D) model of the base force element method (BFEM) based on the complementary energy principle. The study proposes a model of the BFEM for arbitrary mesh problems.
Design/methodology/approach
– The BFEM uses the base forces given by Gao (2003) as fundamental variables to describe the stress state of an elastic system. An explicit expression of element compliance matrix is derived using the concept of base forces. The detailed formulations of governing equations for the BFEM are given using the Lagrange multiplier method. The explicit displacement expression of nodes is given. To verify the 2D model, a program on the BFEM using MATLAB language is made and a number of examples on arbitrary polygonal meshes and aberrant meshes are provided to illustrate the BFEM.
Findings
– A good agreement is obtained between the numerical and theoretical results. Based on the studies, it is found that the 2D formulation of BFEM with complementary energy principle provides reliable predictions for arbitrary mesh problems.
Research limitations/implications
– Due to the use of Lagrange multiplier method, there are more basic unknowns in the control equation. The proposed method will be improved in the future.
Practical implications
– This paper presents a new idea and a new numerical method, and to explore new ways to solve the problem of arbitrary meshes.
Originality/value
– The paper presents a 2D model of the BFEM using the complementary energy principle for arbitrary mesh problems.
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