Analytical Prediction of the Young’s Modulus of Concrete with Spheroidal Aggregates

Abstract

The Young’s modulus of concrete is an important mechanical parameter for assessing the stiffness of concrete structures. The objective of this paper is to present an analytical method for evaluating the Young’s modulus of concrete with spheroidal aggregates. In this method, the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between aggregates and the bulk cement paste is treated as an independent phase. To reduce mathematical complexity, the three-phase concrete is decomposed into two two-phase composite materials and modeled through a two-step procedure. After the validity of the analytical method is verified with three sets of experimental data, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to quantify various factors that affect the Young’s modulus of concrete. The numerical results show that the Young’s modulus of concrete increases with the increase of the maximum size and aspect ratio of aggregate but decreases by increasing the ITZ thickness. It is also shown that the aggregate gradation influences the Young’s modulus of concrete to a certain extent.