Concrete generally deforms and cracks in a non-uniform manner under drying-induced stress. This study used the lattice fracture model to simulate the drying-induced non-uniform deformations, stresses, and micro-crack propagation in concrete. Experiments were designed to validate the lattice fracture model, wherein the drying-induced non-uniform deformations and micro-crack patterns in concrete were measured using a digital image correlation technique and a fluorescent epoxy impregnation method, respectively. It was found that the simulated non-uniform deformations and micro-crack patterns were close to the experimental observations. The interaction mechanism between drying-induced non-uniform stresses and micro-cracks was analysed based on the validated lattice fracture model. The micro-cracks were found to cause stress concentration both in coarse aggregate and the mortar that covered coarse aggregate, which could lead to high micro-cracking risk as drying continues.

混凝土通常在干燥引起的应力下以不均匀的方式变形和破裂。这项研究使用晶格断裂模型模拟了干燥引起的混凝土中非均匀变形，应力和微裂纹扩展。设计实验以验证晶格断裂模型，其中分别使用数字图像相关技术和荧光环氧浸渍法测量了混凝土中干燥引起的不均匀变形和微裂纹图案。结果发现，模拟的非均匀变形和微裂纹模式与实验观察值接近。基于验证的晶格断裂模型，分析了干燥引起的非均匀应力与微裂纹的相互作用机理。