A Coupled Load–Damage–Diffusion Model for Sulfate Transport in Concrete Under Static and Fatigue Loading with Drying–Wetting Cycles

External sulfate attack constitutes a major durability challenge for structural concrete, yet the influence of mechanical loads on sulfate transport remains incompletely understood. This study develops a coupled sulfate–water transport model that embeds the effects of axial static loads and fatigue loads into the effective sulfate diffusion coefficient through physically motivated correction factors, without explicitly resolving chemical reactions or physical crystallization. Numerical simulations were performed for coupled scenarios of static loading, fatigue loading, and drying–wetting cycles. Three principal findings emerge. First, drying–wetting cycles produce a stable convection enrichment peak at 1 to 3 mm from the exposed surface, rather than a monotonic decay profile. Second, axial static loads exhibit pronounced tension–compression asymmetry: tensile stress enhances sulfate transport, while compressive stress exerts a comparatively weak inhibition effect. Third, fatigue loading introduces time-dependent accumulation and nonlinear acceleration driven by the dynamic evolution of microcrack connectivity. The tensile zone consistently exhibits markedly higher sulfate enrichment and deeper penetration than the compressive zone, identifying it as the dominant region for coupled deterioration. These findings provide a quantitative foundation for durability assessment of concrete structures under complex loading environments.

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Publication Details

Journal
AppliedMath
Published
2026-07-24
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/appliedmath6080120
Primary Topic
Concrete and Cement Materials Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

A Coupled Load–Damage–Diffusion Model for Sulfate Transport in Concrete Under Static and Fatigue Loading with Drying–Wetting Cycles

Kun Wang, Jinjun Guo, Yuanyuan Cheng, Zi Wang et al.
AppliedMath
Concrete and Cement Materials Research
article

A Coupled Load–Damage–Diffusion Model for Sulfate Transport in Concrete Under Static and Fatigue Loading with Drying–Wetting Cycles

Kun Wang, Jinjun Guo, Yuanyuan Cheng, Zi Wang, Jianjian Sun, Bing Yao, Qiang Han, Wanli Cheng
article en

Abstract

External sulfate attack constitutes a major durability challenge for structural concrete, yet the influence of mechanical loads on sulfate transport remains incompletely understood. This study develops a coupled sulfate–water transport model that embeds the effects of axial static loads and fatigue loads into the effective sulfate diffusion coefficient through physically motivated correction factors, without explicitly resolving chemical reactions or physical crystallization. Numerical simulations were performed for coupled scenarios of static loading, fatigue loading, and drying–wetting cycles. Three principal findings emerge. First, drying–wetting cycles produce a stable convection enrichment peak at 1 to 3 mm from the exposed surface, rather than a monotonic decay profile. Second, axial static loads exhibit pronounced tension–compression asymmetry: tensile stress enhances sulfate transport, while compressive stress exerts a comparatively weak inhibition effect. Third, fatigue loading introduces time-dependent accumulation and nonlinear acceleration driven by the dynamic evolution of microcrack connectivity. The tensile zone consistently exhibits markedly higher sulfate enrichment and deeper penetration than the compressive zone, identifying it as the dominant region for coupled deterioration. These findings provide a quantitative foundation for durability assessment of concrete structures under complex loading environments.

AppliedMathVol. 6(8)
Zhengzhou University (CN), China State Construction Engineering (China) (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
Openalex Percentile: Top 14%
Concrete and Cement Materials Research
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