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In this paper, the development of a 3D adaptive probabilistic explicit cracking model for concrete is reported. The contribution offered herein consists in a new adaptive mesh strategy designed to optimize the use of interface elements in probabilistic explicit cracking models. The proposed adaptive mesh procedure is markedly different from other strategies found in the literature, since it takes into account possible influences on the redistribution of stresses after cracking and can also be applied to purely deterministic cracking models. The process of obtaining the most appropriate adaptive mesh procedure involved the development and evaluation of three different adaptivity strategies. Two of these adaptivity strategies were shown to be inappropriate due to issues related to stress redistribution after cracking. The validation results demonstrate that the developed adaptive probabilistic model is capable of predicting the scale effect at a level similar to that experimentally observed, considering the tensile failure of plain concrete specimens. The results also show that different softening levels can be obtained. The proposed adaptive mesh strategy proved to be advantageous, being able to promote significant reductions in the simulation time in comparison with the classical strategy commonly used in probabilistic explicit cracking models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a method to find the adiabatic temperature rise of concrete by retro-analysing temperatures measured in the field. The construction phase is simulated with a 3D finite-element model that considers the coupling between thermal and chemical phenomena due to cement hydration. A genetic algorithm is used to find the main parameters that characterise the adiabatic temperature curve and that better fit the temperatures measured in the field for a given structure. This method was applied to the construction of the spillway gate pier of a hydroelectric power plant. The good agreement between numerical results and temperature measurements points to the feasibility of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we present an alkali–silica reaction (ASR) thermo-chemo-mechanical expansion model, whose main feature is to represent the stress-induced anisotropy by means of a classical smeared cracking model. This model considers the influence of temperature and humidity in the development of ASR. Since cracking occurs generally at the beginning of the swelling process, it is suggested that the assessment of the reaction characteristics in free expansion tests could be attained considering a cracked specimen. Hence, an inverse analysis is used to determine ASR parameters. The model was applied to the 3D simulation of alkali–silica expansion in a real gravity dam. We computed the displacements at the crest of the block comparing it with measures taken in situ for the last 25 years. The good correlation between experimental and numerical data displays the accuracy of the model, indicating its potentialities for engineering applications. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a thermoregulation model based on the finite element method to perform numerical analyses of brain cooling procedures as a contribution to the investigation on the use of therapeutic hypothermia after ischemia in adults. The use of computational methods can aid clinicians to observe body temperature using different cooling methods without the need of invasive techniques, and can thus be a valuable tool to assist clinical trials simulating different cooling options that can be used for treatment. In this work, we developed a finite element method (FEM) package using isoparametric linear three-dimensional elements which is applied to the solution of the continuum bioheat Pennes equation. Blood temperature changes were considered using a blood pool approach and a lumped analysis for intravascular catheter methods of blood cooling. Some analyses are performed using a three-dimensional mesh based on a complex geometry obtained from computed tomography medical images, considering a cooling blanket and an intravascular catheter. A comparison is made between the results obtained with the two techniques and the effects of each case in brain temperature reduction in a required period of time, maintenance of body temperature at moderate hypothermia levels and gradual rewarming., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper presents a thermoregulation finite element model (FEM) to simulate hypothermia procedures for the treatment of encephalopathy hypoxic-ischemia (EHI) in neonates, a dangerous ischemic condition that can cause neurological damages and even death. Therapeutic hypothermia is the only recommended technique to reduce sequels caused by EHI in neonates; intervention with moderate cooling for neural rescue in newborns with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury is the culmination of a series of clinical research studies spanning decades. However, the direct monitoring of brain cooling is difficult and can lead to additional tissue damage. Therefore, the measurement of efficiency during clinical trials of hypothermia treatment is still challenging. The use of computational methods can aid clinicians to observe the continuous temperature of tissues and organs during cooling procedures without the need for invasive techniques, and can thus be a valuable tool to assist clinical trials simulating different cooling options that can be used for treatment. The use of low cost methods such as cooling blankets can open the possibility of using brain cooling techniques in hospitals and clinics that cannot currently afford the available expensive equipment and techniques. In this work, we developed a FEM package using isoparametric linear three-dimensional elements which is applied to the solution of the continuum bioheat Pennes equation. Blood temperature changes were considered using a blood pool approach. The results of the FEM model were compared to those obtained through the implementation of a user-defined function (UDF) in the commercial finite volume software FLUENT and validated with experimental tests. Numerical analyses were performed using a three-dimensional mesh based on a complex geometry obtained from MRI scan medical images., (Copyright © 2016 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)