Numerical modelling of concrete fracture : A mesoscopic approach based on embedded discontinuity FEM

Abstract

This article presents a numerical study on concrete failure under uniaxial compression. For this end, a fracture model based on the embedded discontinuity finite elements is employed. Concrete mesostructure, i.e. the aggregates and the cement matrix, is explicitly described by convex polygons. Numerical simulations (in 2D) demonstrate that the present approach can predict the salient features of concrete fracture modes even when the crack initiation is based solely on the first principal stress criterion.