A Numerical Simulation of Electrical Resistivity of Fiber-Reinforced Composites, Part 1: Brittle Cementitious Concrete

The durability of concrete has a significant influence on the sustainability and resilience of various infrastructures, including buildings, bridges, roadways, dams, and other applications. Penetration of corrosive agents intensified by exposure to freeze-thaw cycles and the presence of early-age cracks is a common cause of reinforced concrete degradation. Electrical resistivity is a vital physical property of cementitious composites to assess the remained service life of reinforced concrete members subjected to corrosive ions attacks. The application of steel fibers reduces the vulnerability of concrete by limiting crack propagation, but complicates field and laboratory testing due to the random distribution of conductive fibers within the body of the concrete. Numerical simulations facilitate proper modeling of such random distribution to improve the reliability of testing measures. Hence, this paper investigates the influence of fiber reinforcement characteristics on electrical resistivity using multi-physics finite element models. Results examine modeling challenges and include insights on the sensitivity of resistivity measures to fiber reinforcement. Concluding remarks provide expected bias of electrical resistivity in the presence of steel fibers and endeavor to facilitate the development of practical guidelines for assessing the durability of fiber-reinforced concrete members using standard electrical resistivity testing procedures.