Multiphysical Systems
Corrosion in Concrete
When a metal such as iron corrodes in a porous material such as concrete, it degrades both the metal and the porous material. Corrosive species released by the degrading metal diffuse through the pore solution, react chemically, and precipitate within the micropores. These precipitates expand, exerting pressure on the concrete, causing cracks and further degradation, which constitutes an important societal problem as concrete comprises 70-80 % of the construction buildings of the world. Despite their importance, the complex interplay between physical and chemical processes that underlie and govern corrosion-driven fracture are still poorly understood because they are difficult to determine in situ – one of the main reasons is that these processes occur over many length and time scales.
In our work, we aim to fundamentally understand the multi-physical mechanisms behind corrosion-driven fractures in concrete and the interplay among them. Utilizing our institute's multidisciplinary expertise and building on our collaboration with the chair of Durability of Engineering Materials, we examine these mechanisms as a coupled multi-physical and multi-scale process in its full complexity. We integrate various numerical techniques like thermodynamic modeling, reaction-diffusion approaches, and FEM/FFT-based methods with experimental data to uncover the mechanisms that lead to corrosion-driven failures in structures. Ultimately, our research enables us to develop predictive models that will help improve the sustainability of concrete materials and structures.