Modeling nonlinear stress-strain model for sulfate dry-wet cycle erosion of concrete: considerations for the initial compaction stage.

Sulfate dry-wet cycle erosion significantly affects the mechanical properties of concrete. Investigating the uniaxial compressive stress-strain relationship under these conditions is essential for developing accurate constitutive models. This study analyzes the uniaxial stress-strain curves of concrete subjected to dry-wet cycles in 5% and 15% sulfate solutions. The results show that the initial compaction phase in the stress-strain relationship is particularly pronounced under increasing sulfate concentrations and cycle counts. The concrete experiences an extended compaction phase, which accounts for up to 35.71% of the total strain process. This finding challenge traditional constitutive models, which struggle to accurately describe this phase. To address this issue, the study develops a nonlinear stress-strain model for concrete, incorporating the initial damage caused by sulfate dry-wet cycle erosion, based on Weibull statistical damage mechanics principles. The research indicates that the effects of sulfate concentration and cycle count are predominantly reflected in the pronounced nonlinearity of the skeleton strain function's opening size (a) and shape characteristics (b), modeled using a fourth-degree polynomial. The model demonstrates an excellent fit to experimental data with an R2 value of 0.99989, showing that the proposed nonlinear stress-strain relationship effectively captures the uniaxial mechanical behavior of concrete under sulfate dry-wet cycle erosion and provides a robust framework for developing constitutive models in such environments.

Impact of Water-Cement Ratio on Concrete Mechanical Performance: Insights into Energy Evolution and Ultrasonic Wave Velocity.

The water-cement ratio significantly affects the mechanical properties of concrete with changes in porosity serving as a key indicator of these properties, which are correlated with the ultrasonic wave velocity and energy evolution. This study conducts uniaxial compression tests on concrete with varying water-cement ratios, analyzing energy evolution and ultrasonic wave velocity variations during the pore compaction stage and comparing damage variables defined by dissipated energy and ultrasonic wave velocity. The results indicate the following findings. (1) Higher water-cement ratios lead to more complete hydration, lower initial porosity, and a less pronounced pore compaction stage, but they deteriorate mechanical properties. (2) In the pore compaction stage, damage variables defined by dissipated energy are more regular than those defined by ultrasonic wave velocity, showing a nearly linear increase with stress (D = 0~0.025); ultrasonic wave variables fluctuate within -0.06 to 0.04 due to diffraction caused by changes in the pore medium. (3) In the pre-peak stress stage, damage variables defined by ultrasonic wave velocity show a distinct threshold. When the stress ratio exceeds about 0.3, the damage variable curve's growth shows clear regularity, significantly reflecting porosity changes. In conclusion, for studying porosity changes during the pore compaction stage, damage variables defined by dissipated energy are more effective.