Mesoscale Modelling of the Mechanical Behavior of Metaconcretes
Metaconcrete (MC) is a class of engineered cementitious composites that integrates locally resonant inclusions to filter stress waves. While the dynamic benefits are well established, the effect of resonator content and geometry on static compressive resistance remains unclear. This study develops t...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/12/6543 |
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| author | Antonio Martínez Raya Gastón Sal-Anglada María Pilar Ariza Matías Braun |
| author_facet | Antonio Martínez Raya Gastón Sal-Anglada María Pilar Ariza Matías Braun |
| author_sort | Antonio Martínez Raya |
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| description | Metaconcrete (MC) is a class of engineered cementitious composites that integrates locally resonant inclusions to filter stress waves. While the dynamic benefits are well established, the effect of resonator content and geometry on static compressive resistance remains unclear. This study develops the first two-dimensional mesoscale finite-element model that explicitly represents steel cores, rubber coatings, and interfacial transition zones to predict the quasi-static behavior of MC. The model is validated against benchmark experiments, reproducing the 56% loss of compressive strength recorded for a 10.6% resonator volume fraction with an error of less than 1%. A parametric analysis covering resonator ratios from 1.5% to 31.8%, diameters from 16.8 mm to 37.4 mm, and coating thicknesses from 1.0 mm to 4.2 mm shows that (i) strength decays exponentially with volumetric content, approaching an asymptote at ≈20% of plain concrete strength; (ii) larger cores with thinner coatings minimize stiffness loss (<10%) while limiting strength reduction to 15–20%; and (iii) material properties of the resonator have a secondary influence (<6%). Two closed-form expressions for estimating MC strength and Young’s modulus (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.83 and 0.94, respectively) are proposed to assist with the preliminary design. The model and correlations lay the groundwork for optimizing MC that balances vibration mitigation with structural capacity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e6c518e1011e45058a5f8907c52c7cc1 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj-art-e6c518e1011e45058a5f8907c52c7cc12025-08-20T02:24:22ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-06-011512654310.3390/app15126543Mesoscale Modelling of the Mechanical Behavior of MetaconcretesAntonio Martínez Raya0Gastón Sal-Anglada1María Pilar Ariza2Matías Braun3Department of Organizational Engineering, Business Administration and Statistics, School of Aeronautical and Space Engineering, Technical University of Madrid—Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), 28040 Madrid, SpainBarcelona Supercomputing Center, Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (CNS), 08034 Barcelona, SpainSchool of Engineering, University of Seville—Universidad de Sevilla (US), 41092 Seville, SpainResearch Group GREEN, Nebrija University—Universidad Nebrija (UAN), 28015 Madrid, SpainMetaconcrete (MC) is a class of engineered cementitious composites that integrates locally resonant inclusions to filter stress waves. While the dynamic benefits are well established, the effect of resonator content and geometry on static compressive resistance remains unclear. This study develops the first two-dimensional mesoscale finite-element model that explicitly represents steel cores, rubber coatings, and interfacial transition zones to predict the quasi-static behavior of MC. The model is validated against benchmark experiments, reproducing the 56% loss of compressive strength recorded for a 10.6% resonator volume fraction with an error of less than 1%. A parametric analysis covering resonator ratios from 1.5% to 31.8%, diameters from 16.8 mm to 37.4 mm, and coating thicknesses from 1.0 mm to 4.2 mm shows that (i) strength decays exponentially with volumetric content, approaching an asymptote at ≈20% of plain concrete strength; (ii) larger cores with thinner coatings minimize stiffness loss (<10%) while limiting strength reduction to 15–20%; and (iii) material properties of the resonator have a secondary influence (<6%). Two closed-form expressions for estimating MC strength and Young’s modulus (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.83 and 0.94, respectively) are proposed to assist with the preliminary design. The model and correlations lay the groundwork for optimizing MC that balances vibration mitigation with structural capacity.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/12/6543metaconcretenumerical simulationsadvanced manufacturing processes |
| spellingShingle | Antonio Martínez Raya Gastón Sal-Anglada María Pilar Ariza Matías Braun Mesoscale Modelling of the Mechanical Behavior of Metaconcretes Applied Sciences metaconcrete numerical simulations advanced manufacturing processes |
| title | Mesoscale Modelling of the Mechanical Behavior of Metaconcretes |
| title_full | Mesoscale Modelling of the Mechanical Behavior of Metaconcretes |
| title_fullStr | Mesoscale Modelling of the Mechanical Behavior of Metaconcretes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mesoscale Modelling of the Mechanical Behavior of Metaconcretes |
| title_short | Mesoscale Modelling of the Mechanical Behavior of Metaconcretes |
| title_sort | mesoscale modelling of the mechanical behavior of metaconcretes |
| topic | metaconcrete numerical simulations advanced manufacturing processes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/12/6543 |
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