Numerical Designing of Fiber Reinforced Concrete Eco-Constructions

Area of Science:

• Civil Engineering
• Materials Science
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• Fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) is crucial for sustainable construction.
• Predicting the cracking and durability of FRC structures is essential for their service life.
• Existing Eurocodes may not sufficiently address the complexities of FRC cracking at service limit states.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate numerical tools, specifically finite element methods (FEM), for designing FRC eco-constructions.
• To critically analyze existing FEM for FRC cracking and detail a probabilistic model.
• To demonstrate the application of a probabilistic FEM for optimizing FRC structures and reducing environmental impact.

Main Methods:

• Critical review of finite element models for FRC cracking.
• Detailed description of a probabilistic finite element model for FRC.
• Application of the probabilistic model to optimize an FRC track slab design.

Main Results:

• The probabilistic FEM provides precise predictions for crack openings up to 300 microns.
• Numerical tools, particularly FEM, are superior to codes like Eurocodes for predicting FRC cracking and durability.
• Optimization of an FRC track slab using the probabilistic model led to a reduced carbon footprint.

Conclusions:

• Finite element methods are highly effective for predicting FRC cracking and ensuring durability.
• A probabilistic FEM is a valuable tool for precise crack analysis in FRC structures.
• Reducing the thickness of FRC constructions is an effective strategy for minimizing their carbon footprint.