Numerical Study of Concrete Mesostructure Effect on Lamb Wave Propagation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Solid Mechanics
• Non-Destructive Testing

Background:

• Lamb wave propagation analysis is crucial for assessing concrete structures.
• Concrete's complex mesostructure, including aggregates, significantly impacts wave behavior.
• Existing models often simplify concrete to homogeneous materials, neglecting mesoscale effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To numerically investigate Lamb wave propagation in concrete plates with realistic mesostructures.
• To analyze the influence of aggregate content and size on Lamb wave dispersion.
• To compare wave propagation in heterogeneous versus homogeneous concrete models.

Main Methods:

• Generation of concrete mesostructure models using the Monte Carlo method with random aggregate distribution.
• Numerical simulation of Lamb wave propagation.
• Analysis of dispersion curves and wave velocities for different aggregate ratios and particle sizes.

Main Results:

• Aggregate ratio and particle size significantly affect Lamb wave dispersion curves and velocities.
• Heterogeneous concrete models show different Lamb wave velocities compared to homogeneous models.
• The velocity difference between homogeneous and heterogeneous models increases with aggregate content and size.

Conclusions:

• Concrete mesostructure, not just averaged properties, governs Lamb wave propagation.
• Aggregate characteristics are critical for accurate wave-based diagnostics in concrete.
• Findings are vital for advancing non-destructive evaluation techniques for concrete infrastructure.