A stochastic damage model for evaluating the internal deterioration of concrete due to freeze-thaw action

This paper presents a stochastic damage model for evaluating the internal deterioration of concrete due to freeze-thaw action, which involves great uncertainty and randomness. In this model, the structural element of concrete is discretized into infinite microelements, whose lifetimes are assumed to be independent random variables. Then expressions for the mean and variance of the damage of concrete are analytically derived. To calibrate the model parameters, a series of freeze-thaw tests in water on non-air-entrained concrete were conducted and back-calculation analyses were performed on the test results of dynamic modulus. The reliability of the proposed stochastic damage model is further validated through comparisons with the results of 80 other existing test specimens. The present model offers a theoretical basis for exploring the statistical aspect of concrete behavior during freeze-thaw.