Modeling of fracture propagation in concrete structures using a constitutive relation with embedded discontinuity

In this paper, the problem of modeling of mixed mode cracking in concrete structures is addressed within the context of a constitutive law with embedded discontinuity (CLED). This approach, which was originally developed for describing the propagation of localized deformation in a “smeared” sense, is enhanced here to model a discrete nature of crack propagation. The latter is achieved by coupling the CLED approach with the level-set method, which is commonly used within the framework of Extended Finite Element (XFEM). Numerical simulations of experimental tests conducted at Delft University, which involve four-point bending of a notched concrete beam under the action of two independent actuators, are presented. The results based on enhanced CLED approach are directly compared with XFEM simulations. The predictions from both these methodologies are quite consistent with the experimental data, thereby giving advantage to CLED scheme in view of its simplicity in the numerical implementation.