Numerical Study of Concrete Mesostructure Effect on Lamb Wave Propagation

Abstract

The article presents the results of the numerical investigation of Lamb wave propagation in concrete plates while taking into account the complex concrete mesostructure. Several concrete models with randomly distributed aggregates were generated with the use of the Monte Carlo method. The influence of aggregate ratio and particle size on dispersion curves representing Lamb wave modes was analyzed. The results obtained for heterogeneous concrete models were compared with theoretical results for homogeneous concrete characterized by the averaged macroscopic material parameters. The analysis indicated that not only do the averaged material parameters influence the dispersion solution, but also the amount and size of aggregate particles. The study shows that Lamb waves propagate with different velocities in homogeneous and heterogeneous models and the difference increases with aggregate ratio and particle size, which is a particularly important observation for wave-based diagnostic methods devoted to concrete structures.

Correlation between Uniaxial Compression Test and Ultrasonic Pulse Rate in Cement with Different Pozzolanic Additions

“…Another factor to consider is the influence of the concrete mesostructure on wave propagation. Recent research [7] has shown that the complex heterogeneous mesostructure of a concrete slab affects the displacements associated with wave motion, leading to inaccuracies in the wave propagation model. The discrepancy between the actual and theoretical values increases with the proportion of the aggregates and the particle size of the aggregates.…”

Monitoring the Setting Process of Cementitious Materials Using Guided Waves in Thin Rods

“…Due to its long propagation range, the guided wave is frequently used in material characterization and damage detection in plates and pipes [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. For instance, Zima and Kedra [ 27 ] carried out a series of numerical studies to find out the effect of a concrete mesostructure on lamb wave propagation in concrete plates, and it was found that the displacements associated with wave motion are affected by the mesostructure of the concrete plates. Lee et al [ 28 ] formed an embedded guided wave sensor system by placing two pairs of collocated identical piezoelectric patches on a steel plate with uniform thickness.…”

Effect of Moisture Distribution on Velocity and Waveform of Ultrasonic-Wave Propagation in Mortar

“…Therefore, the propagation properties of ultrasonic waves can be used to estimate the internal state of the target material, and this method is attracting attention as an effective method for measuring internal defects in the field of concrete inspection [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. However, concrete is an inhomogeneous material, which contains several voids, cracks, and coarse aggregates, and its density distribution is nonuniform [ 21 , 22 ]. In addition, ultrasonic waves propagate in a complicated pattern due to reflection, confusion, diffraction, interference, etc., when they approach discontinuities [ 23 ].…”