SIMULATIONS OF FRACTURE IN CONCRETE ELEMENTS USING CONTINUOUS AND DISCONTINUOUS MODELS

The paper presents results ofnumerical simulations of fracture in concrete using two different approaches. First, fracture was modelled in a smeared way by an elasto-plastic and a damage continuum model. In elasto-plasticity,a Rankine criterion was used. The degradation of the stiffness in the damage model was described as a scalar variable of an equivalent strain measure. To ensure mesh—independent results, a non—local theory was used. Second, fracture was simulated as discontinuities with the aid of cohesive elements and Extended Finite Element Method The experimental benchmark test for concrete by Nooru-Mohamed under mixed mode condition was modelled. The obtained numerical results were compared with the corresponding experimental ones