Simulation of Time Dependent Degradation of Porous Materials

ForewordPorous mineral materials can be damaged by both physical and chemical attack. Thepresence of an aggressive solution in the pores may induce dissolution of the poroussubstrate and precipitation of damaging solids, cause chemical changes, or induceswelling processes, all of which lead to damaging mechanical stresses and substrateloss. These damage mechanisms can be denoted altogether as corrosion. Corrosiveprocesses are dependent on the moisture, the temperature, and the concentration andnature of the carried species in the solution as well as on the flux rate at variableconcentration and other boundary conditions.From 2002 until 2009 the DFG has financially supported our research in the field ofmaterials science in civil engineering, which is focused on the time-dependentdescription and prediction of the cited damage mechanisms of porous mineral materialsby using numerical simulation under real field conditions. Hereby, the modeling ofmicrostructures and transport processes has been extensively studied.The present book holds the reports published by the involved institutes. Each reportcontains a summary of the main results achieved in their research. High mathematicalcomplexity and computing cost linked to thorough knowledge of physical chemistry hasbeen required for the successful achievement of the research goals.Indeed, the implemented numerical models and simulation programs, some of whichare in ongoing development, provide for an increasingly useful tool to predict thedescribed corrosive processes in engineering and underground constructions as well asin historic buildings.