| Concrete structures exposed to frost action can possibly be deteriorated by internal micro-cracking. On the basis of thermodynamics considerations at the pore scale, a numerical modelling of ice formation in saturated cement-based materials is proposed. The theoretical approach was discussed and partially validated using low temperature calorimetry tests which were performed on cement-based materials and on porous glass. A model describing the behavior of the saturated poro-elastic medium exposed to freezing is then developed and implemented using a finite element program. The comparison between the numerical results and experimental observations tend to validate the approach. They indicate that the model could be a good candidate for future evaluation of the micro-cracking induced in cement-based materials exposed to freeze/thaw cycles. |
