Modeling of multiple phase solid microstructures and prediction of mechanical behaviors of foamed concrete

Mechanical behaviors of foamed concrete, which is a cellular lightweight binder with entrained air voids, are evaluated using the phase field fracture model in a finite element framework. A methodology to identify the micro-scale material properties/parameters of the foamed concrete to predict their macro-scale mechanical behaviors is presented. Multiple phase solid virtual specimens are obtained from the analysis of X-ray micro-CT images, and the input material modeling parameters for the corresponding phases are identified through a series of calibration processes. The similarities and differences in mechanical responses, including stress vs. strain relations and crack patterns from single and multiple phase solid microstructures, are analyzed. The multiple phase solid model shows great potential for enabling detailed analyses of the mechanical behaviors of foamed concrete. With further investigations involving calibrations of the input material modeling parameters using more detailed experiments, the proposed framework is found to be a promising choice for supplementing time- and effort-intensive real experiments.