Modeling of fracture process in quasi-brittle materials

This work is focused on the evaluation of the selected fracture parameters of quasi-brittle material, especially concrete, and an assessment of their dependence on the size and shape of the fracture process zone developing at the tip of the macroscopic crack during fracture. For this purpose, experimentally obtained loading diagrams published in the scientific literature have been utilized. These diagrams have been processed into a form enabling creation and calibration of numerical models of these tests in the ATENA FEM program. The results obtained from simulations of the three-point bending tests on beams of four sizes, with three notches lengths, using the created numerical models were used for determination of fracture parameters of concrete. Results of the work consist of the determined values of the specific energy dissipated for creation of new surfaces of the effective crack and an estimation of the specific energy dissipated in the volume of the fracture process zone, which exhibits specific parameters for each beam size and notch length