Abstract
This paper proposes a new isotropic damage model for quasi-brittle materials and demonstrates its performance in crack propagation analysis for concrete. The suggested damage model is based on fracture mechanics for concrete, and is therefore capable of simulating the quasi-brittle fracture behavior with the fracture energy. We first formulate the damage model in 1-D problem by borrowing the ideas of traction-separation law based on the fracture energy of concrete. And then the damage model is extended to 2-D or 3-D problems by introducing the modified von-Mises equivalent strain. The fundamental characteristics of the suggested damage model are examined in chapter 3. We evaluate the energy balance in 3-point bend test specimen with a single-edge notch, and verify the mesh objectivity of finite element solution with the damage model. Finally, a benchmark test characterized by mixed-mode fracture, which is called Nooru-Mohamed Test, is performed to demonstrate the capability of the suggested damage model.
