Influence of 3D Aggregate Shape on the Meso-Structure of 2D Cross-Sectional Concrete by the Numerical Slicing Method

• Published in: Arabian journal for science and engineering (2011) Vol. 49; no. 4; pp. 4655 - 4673
• Main Authors: Zhu, Tianyu, Chen, Zhonghui, Nian, Gengqian, Zhang, Lingfei, Bao, Min, Hao, Jianshuai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.04.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aggregates; Aspect ratio; Computed tomography; Concrete aggregates; Concrete properties; Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; Mathematical models; Mechanical properties; Morphology; multidisciplinary; Packing density; Research Article-Civil Engineering; Roundness; Science; Shape; Shape effects; Three dimensional models; Two dimensional analysis; Two dimensional models; Aggregate shape; Numerical slicing method; Concrete; Meso-structure; Morphological analysis
• DOI: 10.1007/s13369-023-08196-8
• ISSN: 2193-567X; 1319-8025

Aggregate shape is essential for evaluating concrete properties. Most of the existing literature utilizes X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) to assess the morphological characteristics of 2D/3D aggregates. However, the obtainment of a large number of aggregates by X-CT is a tedious, time-consuming and costly task. In this study, a framework combined concrete modeling and the numerical slicing method was developed, which simulated the process for obtaining 3D models of concrete and the corresponding 2D cross-sectional concrete models in the laboratory using X-CT. This was simpler, more efficient, and less costly than the X-CT method. Based on this framework, 3D concrete models with four different aggregate shape types and corresponding 2D cross-sectional concrete models were generated. The influences of 3D aggregate shape types on the roundness, aspect ratio, packing density, and grading curves of 2D cross-sectional aggregates were statistically analyzed and the correlation between the morphological descriptors of 2D/3D aggregates was investigated. The differences between 2D meso-concrete models generated based on the numerical slicing and the random placement methods were compared. The results showed that the 3D aggregate shape type had significant effects on the meso-structure of 2D sectional concrete. Unlike the projection image method, the morphological descriptors of 2D cross-sectional aggregates obtained based on the slicing method were poorly correlated with the morphological characteristics of 3D aggregates. This study laid the foundation for the study of the qualitative and quantitative relationships between the shape index and mechanical properties of aggregates.