Mesoscale modeling of concrete: Geometry and numerics

Mesoscale analysis is a promising discipline for concrete mix design and damage prediction. Besides many other aspects, its success crucially depends on accurate modeling of the mesoscale geometry and efficient numerical analysis of high resolution, to both of which this article contributes. Mesoscale models of concrete include aggregates, cement stone and, optionally, interfacial transition zones. The present paper establishes transparent formulas for consistent numerical generation of aggregate sizes. Fast separation checks are applied to place ellipsoidal and in particular arbitrary shaped particles. The multigrid method enables efficient computation of very large heterogeneous mesoscale models. This is exemplified by linear finite element analysis of two-dimensional models. Corresponding results are confirmed by experiments and analytical models from literature. The influence of concrete mix parameters on effective elastic properties is studied.