Modeling the complex behavior of concrete for a specific mixture is a challenging task, as it requires bridging the cement scale and the concrete scale. We describe a multiscale analysis procedure for the modeling of concrete structures, in which material properties at the macro scale are evaluated based on lower scales. Concrete may be viewed over a range of scale sizes, from the atomic scale (10−10 m), which is characterized by the behavior of crystalline particles of hydrated Portland cement, to the macroscopic scale (10 m). The proposed multiscale framework is based on several models, including chemical analysis at the cement paste scale, a mechanical lattice model at the cement and mortar scales, geometrical aggregate distribution models at the mortar scale, and the Lattice Discrete Particle Model (LDPM) at the concrete scale. The analysis procedure starts from a known chemical and mechanical set of parameters of the cement paste, which are then used to evaluate the mechanical properties of the LDPM concrete parameters for the fracture, shear, and elastic responses of the concrete. Although a macroscopic validation study of this procedure is presented, future research should include a comparison to additional experiments in each scale.

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We propose an upscaled methodology for evaluating the compressive parameters of the Lattice Discrete Particle Model (LDPM) for a multiscale analysis of concrete structures. This methodology is based on mechanical and chemical models on a wide range of concrete scales. We show that the compressive mechanical parameters are related mainly to material compaction that occurs at the scale of cement paste, the scale containing porosity properties. Therefore, these compressive LDPM parameters are subsequently evaluated based on chemical and mechanical simulations at the cement paste level. Finally, the suggested methodology was verified and validated.

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