ABSTRACT
Delayed Ettringite Formation (DEF) can induce expansive products in the porosity of concrete which leads to internal swelling pressure and damage that can jeopardize the performance of the affected structures. Numerical modelling can provide an appropriate solution to predict such evolution over time especially in the case of massive and critical structures. Such predictive modelling can only be reliable if the modelling hypotheses have been validated and their limitations fully assessed. This work contributes to such purpose using the poromechanical model by Sellier (2021). To evaluate the predictive capacities of the model, we select here a bridge’s pier affected by DEF and show some induced cracking that is monitored and characterized. Blind calculations are done using two distinctive softwares: finite element code Cast3M (open) and the finite volume code FLAC3D (restricted). Eventually, this benchmark aims at exploring the sensitivity to the inputs, modelling hypotheses and tools used.
