The effect of concrete cracks on the evaluation of the thermal performance of walls has not been effectively considered within the assessment of the thermal and hygroscopic performance of buildings. Based on the dual permeability model, a conjugate method is proposed to reconstruct the PDE equation of unsaturated porous materials with cracks. The reliability of the model is verified from three angles: the heat-moisture coupling benchmark of matrix material, the analytical solution of two-dimensional single fracture heat flow coupling problem and the moisture absorption problem of unsaturated cracks. The reliability of the model is verified from three perspectives: the benchmark of thermal and hygroscopic coupling of matrix materials, the analytical solution to the two-dimensional single-break thermal flow coupling problem, and the hygroscopic problem of unsaturated cracks. The effect of heat and moisture transfer in cracked concrete was quantified by detailed modeling of cracks in terms of the probability of over-penetration, crack roughness, crack density, length, and angle of a two-dimensional discrete crack network, showing that cracks contribute to moisture transfer. This is followed by a 10 day experimental simulation of the meteorological environment, comparing the quantities of moisture accumulation, thermal performance, internal surface temperature and humidity within the fractured and non-fractured wall structures, illustrating the potential adverse effects of cracks on thermal performance and moisture transfer in walls under characteristic conditions. Finally, the necessity of applying moisture-proof layer to the damaged wall is demonstrated by comparing the results before and after the application of the moisture-proof layer.
AkhavanAShafaatianSMRajabipourF (2012) Quantifying the effects of crack width, tortuosity, and roughness on water permeability of cracked mortars. Cement and Concrete Research42(2): 313–320.
2.
AlfaiateJMoonenPSluysLJ, et al. (2010) On the use of strong discontinuity formulations for the modeling of preferential moisture uptake in fractured porous media. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering199(45–48): 2828–2839.
3.
AliyuMDChenHP (2017) Sensitivity analysis of deep geothermal reservoir: Effect of reservoir parameters on production temperature. Energy129: 101–113.
4.
BarenblattGIZheltovIPKochinaIN (1960) Basic concepts in the theory of seepage of homogeneous liquids in fissured rocks [strata]. Journal of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics24(5): 1286–1303.
5.
Baroghel-BounyVMainguyMLassabatereT, et al. (1999) Characterization and identification of equilibrium and transfer moisture properties for ordinary and high-performance cementitious materials. Cement and Concrete Research29(8): 1225–1238.
6.
BeaversGSJosephDD (1967) Boundary conditions at a naturally permeable wall. Journal of Fluid Mechanics30(1): 197–207.
7.
BelleudyCWoloszynMChhayM, et al. (2016) A 2D model for coupled heat, air, and moisture transfer through porous media in contact with air channels. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer95: 453–465.
8.
BolanderJEEliášJCusatisG, et al. (2021) Discrete mechanical models of concrete fracture. Engineering Fracture Mechanics257: 108030.
9.
BuchananCRShermanMH (2000) A Mathematical Model for Infiltration Heat Recovery. Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL).
10.
ChaubeRKishiTMaekawaK (1999) Modelling of Concrete Performance: Hydration, Microstructure and Mass Transport. London: CRC Press.
11.
ChequerLVazABedrikovetskyP (2018) Injectivity decline during low-salinity waterflooding due to fines migration. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering165: 1054–1072.
12.
CousinsTAGhanbarianBDaigleH (2018) Three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann simulations of single-phase permeability in random fractal porous media with rough pore–solid interface. Transport in Porous Media122(3): 527–546.
13.
CuiYFengSChenP, et al. (2020) Heat-air-moisture coupled model for radon migration in a porous media. Environmental Science and Pollution Research27: 32659–32669.
14.
DietrichPHelmigRHötzlH, et al. (2005) Flow and Transport in Fractured Porous Media. Berlin and Heidelberg: Springer Science & Business Media.
15.
DolatshahiKMBeyerK (2022) Stiffness and strength estimation of damaged unreinforced masonry walls using crack pattern. Journal of Earthquake Engineering26: 837–856.
16.
EdvardsenCMohrL (1999) DURACRETE–a guideline for durability-based design of concrete structures. Prague, October.
17.
GaoMXiaoYMiaoZ, et al. (2021) Characteristics of moisture transfer and surface crack development of a single lignite particle driven by humidity difference. ACS Omega6(29): 18702–18710.
18.
GörtzJWieprechtSTerheidenK (2021) Dual permeability modelling of concrete joints. Construction and Building Materials302: 124090.
19.
HagentoftCEKalagasidisASAdl-ZarrabiB, et al. (2004) Assessment method of numerical prediction models for combined heat, air and moisture transfer in building components: Benchmarks for one-dimensional cases. Journal of Thermal Envelope and Building Science27(4): 327–352.
20.
HallCHoffWD (2004) Water transport in brick, stone and concrete. Cement and Concrete Research34(11): 2169–2169.
21.
HensHKaragiosisA (2009) Heat, Air and Moisture Control in Building Assemblies. In: ASHRAE (ed) ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals. Atlanta, GA: ASHRAE. pp. 1–25.
22.
HuangFYaoCZhangX, et al. (2021) Effects of fracture parameters and roughness on heat-flow coupling in rock masses with two-dimensional fracture networks. Energy Science & Engineering9: 1216–1231.
23.
HuangHYeGvan BreugelK (2010) Numerical simulation on moisture transport in cracked cement-based materials in view of self-healing of crack. Journal of Wuhan University of Technology-Materials Science Ed25(6): 1077–1081.
24.
KalameesTVäliAKurikL, et al. (2016) The influence of indoor climate control on risk for damages in naturally ventilated historic churches in cold climate. International Journal of Architectural Heritage10(4): 486–498.
25.
LeglandDArganda-CarrerasIAndreyP (2016) MorphoLibJ: Integrated library and plugins for mathematical morphology with ImageJ. Bioinformatics32(22): 3532–3534.
26.
LiKLiL (2019) Crack-altered durability properties and performance of structural concretes. Cement and Concrete Research124: 105811.
27.
LiLLiK (2015) Permeability of microcracked solids with random crack networks: Role of connectivity and opening aperture. Transport in Porous Media109(1): 217–237.
28.
LiuSTangSHuangJ, et al. (2020) Simulation of particle-fluid interaction in fractal fractures based on the immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method. Geofluids2020: 1–13.
29.
LiXChenSXuQ, et al. (2018) Modeling capillary water absorption in concrete with discrete crack network. Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering30(1): 4017263.
30.
LiXLiDXuY (2019) Modeling the effects of microcracks on water permeability of concrete using 3D discrete crack network. Composite Structures210: 262–273.
31.
LiXLiDXuY, et al. (2020) A DFN based 3D numerical approach for modeling coupled groundwater flow and solute transport in fractured rock mass. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer149: 119179.
32.
LiXXuQChenS (2016) An experimental and numerical study on water permeability of concrete. Construction and Building Materials105: 503–510.
33.
LockingtonDParlangeJYDuxP (1999) Sorptivity and the estimation of water penetration into unsaturated concrete. Materials and Structures32(5): 342–347.
34.
MasseyBSWard-SmithJ (2018) Mechanics of Fluids. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
35.
MatheronG (2019) Matheron’s Theory of Regionalised Variables. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
36.
MeschkeGGrasbergerS (2003) Numerical modeling of coupled hygromechanical degradation of cementitious materials. Journal of Engineering Mechanics129(4): 383–392.
37.
MorrowNR (1975) The effects of surface roughness on contact: Angle with special reference to petroleum recovery. Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology14(04): 25–36.
38.
MovassaghAZhangXArjomandE, et al. (2020) A comparison of fractal methods for evaluation of hydraulic fracturing surface roughness. The APPEA Journal60(1): 184–196.
39.
NguyenTTWaldmannDBuiTQ (2019) Computational chemo-thermo-mechanical coupling phase-field model for complex fracture induced by early-age shrinkage and hydration heat in cement-based materials. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering348: 1–28.
40.
OžboltJBalabanićGPeriškićG, et al. (2010) Modelling the effect of damage on transport processes in concrete. Construction and Building Materials24(9): 1638–1648.
41.
PicandetVKhelidjABellegouH (2009) Crack effects on gas and water permeability of concretes. Cement and Concrete Research39(6): 537–547.
42.
PokludaJŠanderaP (2010) Micromechanisms of Fracture and Fatigue: In a Multi-Scale Context. Berlin: Springer Science & Business Media.
43.
RenFZhouCZengQ, et al. (2021) Quantifying the anomalous water absorption behavior of cement mortar in view of its physical sensitivity to water. Cement and Concrete Research143: 106395.
44.
RichterJStaněkK (2016) Measurements of water vapour permeability – Tightness of fibreglass cups and different sealants and comparison of μ-value of gypsum plaster boards. Procedia Engineering151: 277–283.
45.
RouchierSJanssenHRodeC, et al. (2012) Characterization of fracture patterns and hygric properties for moisture flow modelling in cracked concrete. Construction and building materials34: 54–62.
46.
RouchierSWoloszynMForayG, et al. (2013) Influence of concrete fracture on the rain infiltration and thermal performance of building facades. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer61: 340–352.
47.
ŠavijaBLukovićMSchlangenE (2017) Influence of cracking on moisture uptake in strain-hardening cementitious composites. Journal of Nanomechanics and Micromechanics7(1): 4016010.
48.
ShenLRenQZhangL, et al. (2017) Experimental and numerical study of effective thermal conductivity of cracked concrete. Construction and Building Materials153: 55–68.
49.
TabiaiITkachevGDiehlP, et al. (2019) Hybrid image processing approach for autonomous crack area detection and tracking using local digital image correlation results applied to single-fiber interfacial debonding. Engineering Fracture Mechanics216: 106485.
50.
TalonLAuradouHHansenA (2010) Permeability of self-affine aperture fields. Physical Review E Statistical Nonlinear & Soft Matter Physics82(4): 46108.
51.
TarikuFKumaranKFazioP (2010) Transient model for coupled heat, air and moisture transfer through multilayered porous media. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer53(15-16): 3035–3044.
52.
ThovertJFMourzenkoVVAdlerPM (2017) Percolation in three-dimensional fracture networks for arbitrary size and shape distributions. Physical Review E95(4-1): 042112.
53.
TianSFanLYuZ, et al. (2020) RETRACTED: A Fractal Model on Predicting the Water Vapor Permeability of Autoclave Aerated Concrete (AAC) With Various Porosities. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
54.
TorresIDe FreitasVP (2010) The influence of the thickness of the walls and their properties on the treatment of rising damp in historic buildings. Construction and Building Materials24(8): 1331–1339.
55.
TyagiVVPandeyAKKothariR, et al. (2014) Thermodynamics and performance evaluation of encapsulated PCM-based energy storage systems for heating application in building. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry115(1): 915–924.
56.
Van Den HeedePVan BelleghemBAldereteN, et al. (2016) Neutron radiography based visualization and profiling of water uptake in (Un)cracked and autonomously healed cementitious materials. Materials9(5): 311.
57.
VandersteenKCarmelietJFeyenJ (2003) A network modeling approach to derive unsaturated hydraulic properties of a rough-walled fracture. Transport in Porous Media50(3): 197–221.
58.
VarnosfaderaniAMGatmiriBHaghighiEM (2017) A model for moisture and heat flow in fractured unsaturated porous media. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics41(6): 828–858.
59.
WangGShenJLiuS, et al. (2019) Three-dimensional modeling and analysis of macro-pore structure of coal using combined X-ray CT imaging and fractal theory. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences123: 104082.
60.
WangHHuangHFengY, et al. (2018) Characterization of crack and leakage defects of concrete linings of road tunnels in China. ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems Part A Civil Engineering4(4): 4018041.
61.
WangLBaoJUedaT (2016) Prediction of mass transport in cracked-unsaturated concrete by mesoscale lattice model. Ocean Engineering127: 144–157.
62.
WangLUedaT (2011) Mesoscale modeling of water penetration into concrete by capillary absorption. Ocean Engineering38(4): 519–528.
63.
WangZZhangDGongF, et al. (2016) Mesoscale Frost damage simulation based on coupled heat and moisture transfer of mortar with RBSM. Proceedings of Japan Concrete Institute38(1): 1023–1028.
64.
WangZZhuZSunX, et al. (2017) Deterioration of fracture toughness of concrete under acid rain environment. Engineering Failure Analysis77: 76–84.
65.
WitherspoonPAWangJSYIwaiK, et al. (1980) Validity of cubic law for fluid flow in a deformable rock fracture. Water Resources Research16(6): 1016–1024.
66.
YanCXieXRenY, et al. (2022) A FDEM-based 2D coupled thermal-hydro-mechanical model for multiphysical simulation of rock fracturing. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences149: 104964.
67.
YanCZhengYHuangD, et al. (2021) A coupled contact heat transfer and thermal cracking model for discontinuous and granular media. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering375: 113587.
68.
YangHMLeeHSYangKH, et al. (2018) Time and cold joint effect on chloride diffusion in concrete containing GGBFS under various loading conditions. Construction and Building Materials167: 739–748.
69.
YanXHuangZYaoJ, et al. (2018) An efficient hydro-mechanical model for coupled multi-porosity and discrete fracture porous media. Computational Mechanics62(5): 943–962.
70.
YaoCShaoYYangJ, et al. (2020) Effects of fracture density, roughness, and percolation of fracture network on heat-flow coupling in hot rock masses with embedded three-dimensional fracture network. Geothermics87: 101846.
71.
YaoJZhangXSunZ, et al. (2018) Numerical simulation of the heat extraction in 3D-EGS with thermal-hydraulic-mechanical coupling method based on discrete fractures model. Geothermics74: 19–34.
72.
YeHJinNJinX, et al. (2012) Model of chloride penetration into cracked concrete subject to drying–wetting cycles. Construction and Building Materials36: 259–269.
73.
YiYBTawerghiE (2009) Geometric percolation thresholds of interpenetrating plates in three-dimensional space. Physical Review E79(4): 41134.
74.
ZhouCLiKPangX (2012) Geometry of crack network and its impact on transport properties of concrete. Cement and Concrete Research42(9): 1261–1272.
75.
ZhouDBluntMOrrFM (1997) Hydrocarbon drainage along corners of noncircular capillaries. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science187(1): 11–21.
76.
ZhouYZhengSChenL, et al. (2021) Mechanical properties and seismic behavior of confined masonry walls in freeze-thaw environment. Structures31(5): 647–659.
77.
ZhouZFWangJGHuangY (2007) Theory on Dynamics of Fluids in Fractured Medium. Beijing: China Higher Education Press.
78.
ZhutovskySHootonRD (2016) Valuation of concrete’s resistance to physical sulfate salt attack. In: AzenhaMGabrijelISchlickeDetal. (eds) Service Life of Cement-Based Materials and Structures, vol. 105. Paris: RILEM Publications. pp.122–131.
