Title : WETTING-DRYING CAUSED DUE TO INTERMITTENT RAINFALL IN TROPICS
Authors : Kaustav Sarkar and B. Bhattacharjee
Publication : 13th – 16th February 2013
Volume :
Pages : 8-Jan
Price : 250
Abstract : The state of moisture in ceramic materials of construction significantly influences their performance during service. Material properties such as thermal conductivity, shrinkage, strength and durability are known to be largely moisture dependent. For reinforced concrete, the effect is particularly critical as moisture plays a pivotal role in the initiation and propagation of almost every degradation mechanism. Moisture ingress is also considered to be the primary cause for dampness in buildings. Alternating wet-dry conditions greatly influence the moisture distribution in porous building materials and its potential in inflicting damage to structural material is well established. The present paper provides an overview of the phenomenon in the context of tropical climates where its manifestation is common in the form of intermittent rainfall. The study discusses the characteristics of the phenomena for composite, warm-humid, hot-dry and moderate climates. The paper also outlines the mathematical model describing the underlying moisture transport process and demonstrates a finite element based analysis illustrating the evolution of moisture distribution in a typical porous building material. The present study has a special significance in the model based durability analysis of concrete structures in tropics where the occurrence of rains in intermittent spells is a distinctive climatic phenomenon