Modellation of fiber reinforced concrete

[Anonymous]

Hallo everybody,

I am studying the micro-fibre distribution and orientation in high-flow concrete after casting in different formwork. I have seen that is possible to simulate the "Fiber Orientation in plastic part" and the problem apparently looks very similar to that one of the self-compacting concrete with steel or plastic fibres flowing. One of the biggest difference is that the concrete is casted without pressure and with a free surface.
Do you mean it is possible to model it with Autodesk Moldflow? Should I give more information about the problem?

[nordhb]

Hi,
interesting question you raise.

Moldflow is for simulating of polymers, thermoplastic or thermoset/reactive, when injected to a mold.
This means not a free surface flow, as material will be in contact with mold surface, a confined flow between two walls.
The flow behaviour is a fountain flow, the melt in core meets mold wall downstream the flow.
Also the material is charachterized from rheological point of view in rheometers or injection molding machine, thermal properties, PVT, mechanical properties and more.

Your described process seems to be a plug flow, material pushed, and then one free surface.
The scope of this process is not available within Moldflow.
CFD, computional fluid dynamics, might be a way forward, but not sure how mechanical properties will be predicted.
I searched, and found this book:
Simulation of Fresh Concrete Flow: State-of-the Art Report of the RILEM Technical Committee
which seems to give some insight to this.

Hope this clarfies, and hope you will find way to simulate this.
Regards,
Berndt

[Anonymous]

Thank you very much for your answer,

also our mathematicians are working on that (I’m civil engineer), and we “validate” the results using the computed tomography. To have a commercial program to forecast a bit the results could also have been a big help, especially for the test planning.

Regards,

Daniele