Description of anisotropy and chemo-mechanical interaction in porous materials

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This research is related to description of inelastic deformation in a class of porous materials. The emphasis is placed on two fundamental issues, i.e. that of anisotropy of mechanical properties and the degradation phenomena that are linked to chemo-mechanical interaction. The primary areas of application involve structural mechanics and geomechanics.    The topic of inherent anisotropy will be addressed in the context of materials that are heterogeneous on the macroscale; in particular, structural masonry and reinforced concrete. The research will focus first on the description of inelastic deformation of brick masonry. A continuum formulation will be developed and the material functions involved will be identified through a micromechanical analysis. The macroscopic framework will be applied to assess the seismic stability of critical masonry components of hydroelectric power generation facilities in Northern Quebec. Additional research will be conducted in the area of modeling of mechanical response of concrete with embedded sets of reinforcement. Here, again, a coupled micro/macro-mechanical approach will be pursued. The research will be particularly relevant to the nuclear industry, especially to the assessment of structural integrity of nuclear containment structures subjected to extreme mechanical/thermal loads.    A number of natural and manufactured materials undergo a significant degradation of mechanical properties as a result of chemical interaction. The research will focus mainly on modeling of deformation characteristics of chalk in the presence of chemo-mechanical coupling. The degradation phenomenon will be attributed to intergranular pressure solution. This is a non-equilibrium process that occurs at the grain contacts and consists of dissolution and removal of solid material by diffusive transport through the interstitial fluid. A general macroscopic framework will be developed. A homogenization procedure will be employed to describe the underlying physico-chemical processes. The primary area of application here is the petroleum engineering.