3D numerical investigation of functionally graded concrete

Abstract

In the design of engineering structures, concrete is assumed to have homogeneously mechanical properties. However, in reality, the concrete material is usually not uniform with respect to the height of structures because segregation mostly occurs during construction. The higher density is presented at, the lower part of the structure due to a higher proportion of aggregate and vice versa. Moreover, the disparity of creep, shrinkage, hydration heat, and curing method also leads to the difference in the quality of concrete. Therefore, it is necessary to study the responses of a concrete element with various mechanical properties. In this study, the functional elastic modulus of concrete material (FGC) is investigated numerically for its effects on the static responses of the element under axial compression. Conventional Finite Element Method (FEM) and Meshless method are used to model the structure. The reliability of the numerical model is validated by comparing the obtained results with experimental data.