Conference Agenda

Session
PL5: Plenary Lecture
Time:
Friday, 25/Apr/2025:
9:00am - 9:40am

Session Chair: Erik Schlangen
Location: EI 7

TU Wien, Campus Gußhaus, Gußhausstraße 25-29, 1040 Wien Groundfloor

Presentations
9:00am - 9:40am

Fracture investigation in heterogeneous porous materials across scales

R. Nielsen, P. Newell

The University of Utah, United States of America

Heterogeneous porous materials, characterized by variations in porosity and pore distribution, exhibit complex mechanical behavior, particularly when subjected to fracture. Here, we present a numerical method using phase-field fracture technique in FEniCSX to study how changes in porosity and pore distribution impact the fracture behavior of cementitious materials. The results demonstrate that not only porosity but also pore morphology plays a significant role in fracture propagation and the overall response of cement-mortar. These findings highlight the importance of considering both the quantity and spatial arrangement of pores when assessing the mechanical performance and durability of cement-based materials.