Crack characterization in reinforced concrete structures, such as the containment walls of 1300 MWenuclear power plants, is critical for accurately estimating air leakage. Traditional model- ing strategies, such as Poiseuille’s law applied to a simplified geometry, rely on indirect parameters…
Crack characterization in reinforced concrete structures, such as the containment walls of 1300 MWenuclear power plants, is critical for accurately estimating air leakage. Traditional model- ing strategies, such as Poiseuille’s law applied to a simplified geometry, rely on indirect parameters like a tortuosity coefficient, which is difficult to predict and has limited validity, leading to increased uncertainty. This study presents a novel post-processing tool based on the Beam-Particle simula- tion approach, capable of detecting micro-crack paths and constructing macro-crack geometries us- ing graph theory. The generated macro-crack geometry can be integrated into computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations for more accurate airflow predictions or by calibrating simplified ap- proaches like Poiseuille’s law based on numerically obtained crack characteristics. Validation against optical measurements from Brazilian splitting tests demonstrates the tool’s potential to advance sim- plified modeling and enhance detailed crack characterization, opening new possibilities for improved air leakage predictions.