Water migration phenomenon model in cracked concrete. I: Formulation

A mathematical model for water migration in concrete that changes from a homogeneous to a nonhomogeneous material due to its loading history is developed in detail. In the proposed model, concrete is assumed to be composed of aggregate, cement paste, water, a crack band, and an interfacial crack between the aggregate and cement paste. The discontinuities for displacement and hydraulic gradient on cracks are considered on the microlevel. Then the governing equation for water migration in concrete as a homogeneous and a nonhomogeneous material is developed by coupling the mass conservation law and the force equilibrium. Therefore, it is possible to apply the developed model not only to cement-based material but also to porous permeable material like soil material and rock. However, the applicability of the developed model must be confirmed by comparing the experimental results.