Size-scale effects and modelling issues of fibre-reinforced concrete beams

• Published in: Construction & building materials 2023-08, Vol.392, p.131727, Article 131727
• Main Authors: Cucuzza, Raffaele, Aloisio, Angelo, Accornero, Federico, Marinelli, Antonella, Bassoli, Elisa, Marano, Giuseppe Carlo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Brittleness; Fibre-reinforced concrete; Fracture mechanics; Numerical analysis; OpenSees; Size-scale effects
• ISSN: 0950-0618; 1879-0526
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.131727

This paper compares numerical and analytical predictions for the shear capacity of fibre-reinforced concrete beams based on experimental literature tests. The authors compared the outcomes of a FE model using the DamageTC3d constitutive model, a literature formulation, and the current proposal of the Eurocode 2 draft for fibre-reinforced structures. The paper evaluates the sensitivity of the beam response to the fracture energy Gf, modified after the Model Code 2010 formulation. The investigation reveals a dependence of the estimated fracture energy on the beam size. Furthermore, the comparison between the numerical estimates and the analytical predictions using the MC2010 and the current EC2 draft proves that the error is substantially independent of the model selection but is strongly affected by the specific case study. This fact confirms the absence of weaknesses in the numerical modelling and highlights the aleatoric uncertainties of the experimental data. •Numerical and analytical prediction of the shear capacity of fibre-reinforced concrete beams;•Investigation based on the experimental tests by Minelli et al.•Simulating the shear size-effect in fibre-reinforced concrete beams;•Understanding the role of the fracture energy in size-effect phenomena;•Verification of the Eurocode 2 draft formulation against numerical predictions;