Date Approved
2-25-2025
Embargo Period
3-17-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Department
Civil engineering
College
Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering
Advisor
Cheng Zhu, PhD
Committee Member 1
Yusuf Mehta, PhD
Committee Member 2
William Riddell, PhD
Committee Member 3
Behrad Koohbor, Phd
Committee Member 4
Yifei Ma, PhD
Disciplines
Civil and Environmental Engineering | Civil Engineering | Engineering
Abstract
The resilience and sustainability of civil infrastructure are fundamental to supporting modern society in the face of growing environmental challenges and resource limitations. This study aims to use multi-scale numerical tools to evaluate mechanical performance of different construction materials under various environmental and loading conditions. Firstly, we adopt the discrete element method (DEM) to evaluate the influence of freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs) action on the mechanical properties of rock from the micro perspective. A simplified plastic model is proposed to capture the residual deformation produced during FTCs. To further explore the deterioration of FTCs on rock, the water-contained grain-based model (GBM) is developed in this study to evaluate the effects of mineral component and porosity on the mechanical behavior of rock after FTCs. Inspired by the GBM, the image processing is used to get the contour of aggregates of asphalt mixtures, which is used for reconstructing the DEM model of asphalt mixtures. A modified Burger’s model is proposed to explore the time and temperature-dependent behavior of asphalt mixtures. Finally, a Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation is carried out to evaluate the long-term deformation of pavement section under trucking loading. Through comparing the numerical results and field test results, the developed FEM model is validated, which is helpful for pavement design and failure prediction.
Recommended Citation
Huang, Chenchen, "NUMERICAL ANALYSES OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AT DIFFERENT SCALES FOR IMPROVED RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY OF CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURES" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 3336.
https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/3336
