Cellular Automata Simulation of Damage Processes in Concrete Structures

Novel approaches to time-variant assessment and optimisation of structural systems undergoing damage have been proposed in recent years based on cellular automata. A review of these approaches is presented in this study for concrete structures exposed to fire or aggressive environments. Cellular automata are used to simulate the transport processes of mass and heat and to describe the corresponding mechanisms of damage propagation. The coupling between the transport process and structural behaviour leads to a cellular automata formulation of finite elements with time-variant properties for lifetime non-linear analysis of deteriorating concrete structures. The proposed modelling is validated by comparing the results of numerical predictions with the results of experimental tests. The effectiveness and general applicability in engineering practice of the approaches presented is demonstrated through case studies.