An elastoplastic damage model for concrete considering the influence of mesostructure on transverse deformation

Abstract

The deformation of mesostructures such as micropore collapse or microcrack expansion within concrete can hugely influence its macro transverse deformation. This deformation characteristic is not effectively characterized in existing elastoplastic damage constitutive models based on micromechanics. This discrepancy can result in substantial disparities between the calculated results and the actual situation when carrying out the stress and deformation analysis of concrete structures. Through an in-depth examination of how micropore collapse and microcrack shear expansion affect transverse measurable strain, a new calculating method for concrete transverse deformation is established according to its actual evolution characteristics. The reliability of the proposed method is verified based on the triaxial compression test results. Research results indicate that the transverse deformation of concrete increases slightly before the peak deviatoric stress, and significantly in the post-peak stage. If deformation is restricted, changes in transverse deformation can profoundly affect the stress state of concrete. Micropore collapse reduces the macroscopic transverse deformation of concrete, while microcrack expansion has the opposite effect. The strain caused by micropore collapse and microcrack expansion can be deemed as derivative strain of plastic strain, and an influence coefficient can be used to characterize the impact of these two factors on macroscopic transverse deformation. It is proposed that the total transverse strain consists of elastic strain and the product of plastic strain and plastic strain influence coefficients. The development characteristics of concrete transverse deformation can be effectively captured when describing the plastic strain influence coefficient using an arctangent function.