Simulating Fresh Concrete Behavior Through Discrete Element Approach

The study of the rheology of fresh concrete is important to find solutions to problems in the cement and concrete industries, such as workability, poor formwork filling, bleeding and segregation etc. A deeper comprehension of micro and meso-level compositions and their interactions is crucial to address these issues. The discrete element method (DEM), a particle-based approach, can describe such systems to comprehend the rheology of freshly-poured concrete with different consistencies. The present study proposes a DEM-based model to simulate the working process of fresh concrete, considering polyhedral particles to represent actual aggregates. The rheological model developed for fresh concrete has been presented, and a thorough investigation into the influence of each critical simulation parameter on the outcomes of the commonly used slump test has been detailed. The study offers a comprehensive data analysis for the appropriate selection of these parameters to provide the desired realistic fresh concrete behavior.