UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

DEPARTMENT OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

SD211: CIVIL ENGINEERING MATERIALS I

INTRODUCTION TO
THE STRUCTURE
AND BEHAVIOUR
OF BUILDING MATERIALS
LECTURE No. 7

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 1.7.5 Rheological Models
 The various types of deformation which have
been mentioned can be described, or explained,
through model elements (elementary models)
and combinations thereof.
 The model elements (basic models) and their
combinations are called Rheological Models.
 Rheology is the science of flow and deformation
of matter, and describes the interrelationship
between force, deformation and time.

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 The term ‘rheology’ is derived from the Greek
work ‘RHEOS’, which means ‘to flow’.
 Rheology is applicable to all materials, from gases
to solids.
 The models are simplified, idealized mechanical
arrangements, the behaviour of which when
loaded can be expressed in mathematical terms.
 Three basic models are used:
– Hooke’s element (elastic spring)
– St. Venant’s plastic element (friction plane)
– Newton’s viscous element (perforated plunger in a Newtonian
fluid)

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BASIC RHEOLOGICAL MODELS

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 Hooke’s element is used for ideal elastic
deformations.
 St. Venant’s element is used for plastic
deformations: there is no movement or strain
until a certain stress is attained which equals
the frictional force on the plane surface.
 Newton’s damper element is a dashpot filled
with a fluid of a certain viscosity. A perforated
plunger can be pushed in or out of the dashpot
at a speed which is proportional to the applied
load.

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 Actual materials DO NOT behave
according to any of the idealized
arrangements.
 Appropriate combinations of the basic
models are used to approximate real
deformations encountered in
engineering practice.

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Elasto-plastic behaviour explained by combining
Hooke’s and St. Venant’s elements:

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MAXWELL, KELVIN and BURGERS models

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 The Maxwell model:
 Visco-elastic behaviour is explained by Maxwell’s model,
which combines Hooke’s and Newton’s elements.
 Upon loading, the elastic spring shows instant
deformation while the damper increases the
deformations slowly with time.
 The Maxwell model also offers an explanation to
RELAXATION: If the model is suddenly loaded, the spring
will extend immediately. If load is removed and the
position of plunger is fixed, the extended spring will
slowly return to its original unloaded position.

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Maxwell model and Relaxation

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 The Kelvin model:
 The Kelvin model comprises the spring and the
damper in parallel.
 If a constant load is applied, the damper will
permit only slow deformation.
 The maximum deformation will be
determined by the spring constant.
 The Kelvin model helps to explain retarded
elasto-viscous behaviour, such as creep.

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 The Burgers model:
 For more accurate description of complex
rheological behaviour, a more sophisticated
element combination is necessary.
 The Burgers model more accurately describes
creep than the Kelvin model alone.
 The Burgers model is obtained by combining
the Maxwell and Kelvin Models in series.

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A combination of all
three basic elements
in series will also
explain relaxation
better than the
Maxwell model alone:

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1.7.6 Stress-independent
deformations
 Stress-independent deformations may be
caused by the following factors:
– Temperature changes
– Changes in moisture content
– Chemical changes
 Stress-independent deformations occur only if
the deformations are not resisted.

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Free and resisted stress-independent
deformations

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 Thermal expansion/contraction
 Deformations due to changes in temperature
are linearly proportional to the change of
temperature.
 The deformations are fully reversible.
 The deformations can be calculated if the
linear coefficient of thermal expansion of the
material, t, is known.
 ε = ∆L/L = t x ∆T;
 ∆L = t x ∆t x L
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 Deformations due to changes in moisture
content

 With increasing or decreasing moisture

content, many materials exhibit swell or
shrinkage respectively.
 These deformations are often fully
reversible.

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 Deformations due to chemical reactions

 Most chemical reactions cause changes in

volume, which can be expressed as chemical
shrinkage/swell.
 These volume changes are often irreversible.
 Examples:
– Chemical shrinkage: Water-cement reaction
(hydration of cement)
– Chemical expansion: reaction between quicklime
and water (slaking of lime)

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