From functional properties of frost-resistant plant tissues towards customised construction materials - A continuum-mechanical approach

Temperatures below freezing point represent a common threat to standard construction materials, as a phase change of the pore content from liquid water to solid ice frequently leads to damage. However, frost-resistant plants are able to withstand many cycles of freezing and thawing without any damage. Hence, the objective is to identify and analyse structural factors of frost-resistant plant tissues and to develop a model, which includes their functional behaviour. Since frost-resistant plant tissues are formed by ordered arrangements of cells with prescribed shape and size, they can be understood as an (anisotropic) natural porous material. Therefore, a customised modelling strategy based on the Theory of Porous Media (TPM) is proposed, which allows for the description of structural traits and the formation of ice within plant tissues. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)