Constitutive model for alkali-aggregate reactions

"A new constitutive model for alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR) expansion is presented. This thermo-chemo-mechanical model is rooted in the chemistry, physics, and mechanics of concrete. The major premises of the model are the assumption of a volumetric expansion of the gel and redistribution on the basis of weights related to the stress tensor (hence induced anisotropy). This three-component model is, for the most part, loosely coupled, with the exception of the interdependency between the mechanical and the chemical parts through the kinetics of the reaction. The model has been used, in conjunction with a formal parameter identification paradigm, to analyze laboratory tests on triaxially confined concrete cylinders. Finally, a detailed two-dimensional analysis of an arch gravity dam is presented. "