Brazil Nut Effect and CONCRETE: Entering Terra Incognita
P. Stroeven1, Huan He1,2
1 Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands
2 College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China
This paper presents some evidence of the impact of the Brazil nut effect (BNE) on concrete’s particulate structure on meso-level (aggregate) as well as on micro-level (cement paste). BNE is associated with long-range size segregation in particle mixtures due to vibration in slurry state of concrete, both near boundaries and in bulk. Presented evidences on meso- as well as on micro-level are coming from experiences in practice and in research, as well as from discrete element modelling (DEM) investigations.
Key words: Brazil nut effect, concrete, aggregate, cement paste, segregation, discrete element method