Numerical Modeling on the Damage Behavior of Concrete Subjected to Abrasive Waterjet Cutting

Abrasive waterjet technology is a promising sustainable and green technology for cutting underground structures. Abrasive waterjet usage in demolition promotes sustainable and green construction practices by reduction of noise, dust, secondary waste, and disturbances to the surrounding infrastructure. In this study, a numerical framework based on a coupled Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH)–Finite Element Method (FEM) algorithm incorporating the Riedel–Hiermaier–Thoma (RHT) constitutive model is proposed to investigate the damage mechanism of concrete subjected to abrasive waterjet. Numerical simulation results show a stratified damage observation in the concrete, consisting of a crushing zone (plastic damage), crack formation zone (plastic and brittle damage), and crack propagation zone (brittle damage). Furthermore, concrete undergoes plastic failure when the shear stress on an element exceeds 5 MPa. Brittle failure due to tensile stress occurs only when both the maximum principal stress (σ1) and the minimum principal stress (σ3) are greater than zero at the same time. The damage degree (χ) of the concrete is observed to increase with jet diameter, concentration of abrasive particles, and velocity of jet. A series of orthogonal tests are performed to analyze the influence of velocity of jet, concentration of abrasive particles, and jet diameter on the damage degree and impact depth (h). The parametric numerical studies indicates that jet diameter has the most significant influence on damage degree, followed by abrasive concentration and jet velocity, respectively, whereas the primary determinant of impact depth is the abrasive concentration followed by jet velocity and jet diameter. Based on the parametric analysis, two optimized abrasive waterjet configurations are proposed: one tailored for rock fragmentation in tunnel boring machine (TBM) operations; and another for cutting reinforced concrete piles in shield tunneling applications. These configurations aim to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of excavation and tunneling processes through improved material removal performance and reduced mechanical wear.