Study of surface damage of concrete towers based on microcosmic numerical simulation

Strength characteristic of towers of cable-stayed bridges, acting as main compression member, is mainly to bear vertical component force produced by cables. This paper simulates mechanical behavior of the surface of towers by using PFC software and applies Fish language programming to analyze structural materials of concrete on the surface of towers, boundary control conditions, as well as appliance of load. Three states of particle clusters are employed to simulate microcosmic damage on the surface of concrete towers. It also describes in detail the produce of microcrack, the expansion of crack, as well as the energy changing in the process of cracking, which is a evolution of damage at the beginning of surface cracking on towers: the bigger the radius of particle clusters is, the severer the damage is, among which the predominant energy is strain energy.