Three dimensional finite element analysis of brittle materials using CDM model

Abstract

It is well documented that the major part of the nonlinearity in concrete is attributed to the development of microcracks and microvoids which tend to destroy the interface of bond between the cement matrix and aggregate and/or destroy the material grains and thus affecting the elastic properties.

In the past two decades, the damage mechanics approach has emerged as a viable framework for the description of the observed phenomenological behavior of concrete such as material stiffness degradation, microcrack initiation and the strong directionality of DAMAGE.

It is the objective of this thesis to incorporate a continuum damage model into a three dimensional finite element code (DAMAG3D) to predict the ultimate capacity and the overall response of structures made up of britle materials. The model is verified through the well-known Brazilian test, uniaxial compression test and plain concrete prism under strip loading. Numerical predictions are compared with the experimental results and the results predicted by other models.