Parametric Analysis of Concrete Response under High Temperatures via a Thermo-Hydric Numerical Model

Abstract

High temperatures are amongst the most critical situations in which concrete may be exposed. For safety purposes, it is, therefore, important to understand and estimate the consequences of that action on the structural integrity of concrete. The mechanical degradation suffered by a concrete structure due to high temperatures is related to energy and mass transport in a porous medium. Hence, to describe a realistic behavior ofconcrete undergoing thermal loading, a model shall take into account these phenomena.In this study, numerical simulations of the hygrothermal behavior of concrete specimen subjected to high temperature conditions were performed through a transient and nonlinear model, implemented in the Cast3M code. A parametric analysis was used to describe which parameters influenced more the model's performance: thermal conductivity, permeability, porosity or saturation.