A crack-tracking technique for localized cohesive–frictional damage. (December 2015) - Saloustros, Savvas
Highlights: A new crack propagation criterion consistent with the Mohr–Coulomb theory. A local crack-tracking technique accounting for material's frictional behaviour. Crack propagation direction evaluated by an energy criterion. Numerical simulation of mixed mode tests on concrete specimens. Abstract: This paper extends the use of crack-tracking techniques within the smeared crack approach for the numerical simulation of cohesive–frictional damage on quasi-brittle materials. The mechanical behaviour is described by an isotropic damage model with a Mohr–Coulomb failure surface. The correct crack propagation among the two alternative fracture planes proposed by the Mohr–Coulomb theory is selected with the use of an energy criterion based on the total elastic strain energy. The simulation of three benchmark problems of mixed-mode fracture in concrete demonstrates that the proposed methodology can reproduce the material's frictional characteristics, showing robustness, as well as mesh-size and mesh-bias independence.