Simulation of Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Sustainable Lightweight Aggregate Concrete with Mesoscopic Model

In the current paper, the dynamic mechanical properties of sustainable lightweight aggregate concrete (SLAC) were numerically studied with a newly developed mesoscopic model. In the model, a fissure-based filling method was utilized for placing spherical aggregates, in which the aggregate geometric data were collected from specimen cross-profiles. The interfacial transition zone (ITZ) was also created in the meso-scale finite element model. The model was then utilized to simulate the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) test of SLAC. The results indicated that the waveforms, dynamic compression strength, and strain rate effects obtained from the simulation closely matched the experimental ones, which demonstrated the effectiveness of the established mesoscopic model. The parametric analysis showed that the aggregate content and ITZ thickness had an important effect on the dynamic mechanical behavior of SLAC. It is believed that the current study can provide a valuable reference for the numerical study of the failure mechanism of sustainable lightweight aggregate concrete.