Chemical and mechanical damage modelling for concrete structures

The effects of deterioration phenomena on the concrete characteristics are considered both from the physical-chemical and the mechanical point of view. The equation governing the evolution of the stress-strain fields into the concrete material are carried out on the basis of an elastic-damage theory, including both thermo-hydro processes and chemical attack due to pollutant transport. The coupling between mechanical and environmental damage phenomena is taken into account by means of a global damage parameter, depending on the mechanical and the chemical damage parameters. The latter is strongly related to the chemical reaction evolution. One example is shown in order to demonstrate the reliability of the proposed approach in practical engineering problems.