Towards Understanding Deformation and Fracture in Cementitious Lattice Materials: Insights from Multiscale Experiments and Simulations

Lattice materials have attracted extensive research interest, for the lightweight nature and excellent mechanical properties. As a widely used construction material, cementitious materials have great potential to be used to produce lattice materials for various engineering applications. Currently, studies on the mechanical properties of cementitious lattice materials is still insufficient. This work focuses on understanding the deformation and fracture behavior of cementitious lattice materials, based on a multi-scale experimental and numerical approach. Specifically, the role of heterogeneity in determining the mechanical responses is studied and clarified. On the macroscale, heterogeneity introduced by the lattice structures is studied. On the microscale, microscopic heterogeneity induced by multiple phases in cement paste is investigated. Moreover, fracture criterion of the lattice model is studied, on both scales. The influence of the fracture coefficient which regulates the contribution of bending moment on a lattice element is discussed and elaborated. The fundamental findings obtained in this work could be helpful for designing and optimizing cementitious lattice materials for future studies.