Modeling of concrete cracking—A hybrid technique of using displacement discontinuity element method and direct boundary element method

• Published in: Engineering analysis with boundary elements 2011-09, Vol.35 (9), p.1054-1059
• Main Authors: Ameen, Mohammed, Raghu Prasad, B.K., Gopalakrishnan, A.R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Boundary element method; Building structure; Buildings. Public works; Concrete structure; Concretes; Construction (buildings and works); Cracking (fracturing); Discontinuity; Displacement; Exact sciences and technology; Fracture mechanics; Fracture mechanics (crack, fatigue, damage...); Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Physics; Solid mechanics; Structural and continuum mechanics
• ISSN: 0955-7997; 1873-197X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enganabound.2011.03.009

This paper presents a new approach by making use of a hybrid method of using the displacement discontinuity element method and direct boundary element method to model concrete cracking by incorporating fictitious crack model. Fracture mechanics approach is followed using the Hillerborg's fictitious crack model. A boundary element based substructure method and a hybrid technique of using displacement discontinuity element method and direct boundary element method are compared in this paper. In order to represent the process zone ahead of the crack, closing forces are assumed to act in such a way that they obey a linear normal stress-crack opening displacement law. Plain concrete beams with and without initial crack under three-point loading were analyzed by both the methods. The numerical results obtained were shown to agree well with the results from existing finite element method. The model is capable of reproducing the whole range of load–deflection response including strain-softening and snap-back behavior as illustrated in the numerical examples.