Elastoplastic Damage Behavior of a Mortar Subjected to Compression and Desiccation

Abstract

This paper deals with experimental investigation and numerical modeling of drying effects on the mechanical behavior of cement-based materials. First, the main results from an experimental study on the mechanical behavior (failure strength, induced damage, and plastic deformation) of a mortar subjected to the desiccation process are presented. Then, a coupled elastoplastic damage model is proposed to describe the mechanical behavior of cement-based materials subjected to tensile and compressive stresses. A particular emphasis is put on the pressure sensitivity of plastic flow and damage evolution. Capillary effects on mechanical behavior due to desiccation have been taken into account in the framework of partially saturated porous media. Finally, numerical simulations and experimental data are compared in order to verify the capacity of the model to reproduce the basic characteristics of the mortar in saturated and unsaturated conditions.