Abstract
Three-dimensional mesoscopic simulations of anchorage performance under multi-directional reinforcement conditions were conducted in this study to evaluate the effect of hook and mechanical anchorage, transverse bars and the clearance of reinforcements in congested reinforcement area on the anchorage capacity and crack propagation. Discrete analysis method, Rigid Body Spring Model (RBSM), was adopted to present the cracking directly. The rib of reinforcement bars were modeled to simulate the crack from rib and splitting cracking. Analysis reasonably reproduced the confinement effect of the transverse bars on the pull out capacity as well as the cracking pattern observed in the experiments. Furthermore, vulnerability was introduced to the area where the reinforcements were closely arranged to consider the heterogeneity and worse compaction of concrete. This assumption successfully evaluated the anchorage performance in the congested rebar arrangement area. Three-dimensional internal crack propagation was simulated reasonably according to the reinforcement arrangement and the anchorage type.
