Discrete Modeling of Cohesive-Frictional Fracture Processes in Reinforced and Fiber-Reinforced Concrete
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Predicting fracture evolution in reinforced and fiber-reinforced concrete remains a hard problem due to the interaction of fracture processes depending on crack opening and closing, frictional contact with dilatancy, and bond-slip and dowel mechanisms governing load transfer in anchoring and fiber-bridging systems. This contribution presents a discrete modeling framework for cohesive-frictional fracture processes in reinforced concrete based on adaptively inserted zero-thickness interface elements [1,2]. The interface elements are governed by a cohesive-frictional traction-separation law including dilatancy induced by aggregate interlocking. Steel rebars and fibers are modeled explicitly by elastoplastic Timoshenko beam elements and embedded into the cement matrix using a penalty-based non-conforming coupling algorithm. Bond degradation between matrix and fibers is captured by an elastoplastic bond-slip model calibrated from single-fiber pull-out experiments. The framework further supports incorporation of concrete mesostructures including aggregates and pores obtained via CT imaging [3]. The proposed computational approach is validated against a number of experimental benchmarks, including uniaxial tension and compression experiments, four-point bending size-effect tests, and anchor pull-out experiments, demonstrating accurate prediction of load-displacement responses, fracture patterns, and failure mechanisms. REFERENCES [1] Gudžulić, Vladislav, and Günther Meschke. Discrete modeling of cracking in reinforced concrete structures: formulation, size effect, and parameter sensitivity. Materials and Structures 58, no. 9, pp. 295, 2025. [2] Daadouch, Koussay, Vladislav Gudžulić, and Günther Meschke. Adaptive insertion of interface elements for fracture analysis: Reliable computation of interface traction. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering 450, pp. 118614, 2026. [3] Gudžulić, Vladislav. Virtual lab for mechanical testing of steel and steel-fiber reinforced concrete, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsbibliothek, 2024.
