Analysis of Fatigue Strain, Fatigue Modulus and Fatigue Damage for the Model Formulation of Concrete Based on Strain Life Approach

Abstract

Analysis of fatigue strain, fatigue modulus and fatigue damage for the modeling of concrete plays a vital role in the evolution material behaviour which is heterogeneous and anisotropic in nature. The Level-S nonlinear fatigue strain curve, fatigue modulus curve, residual strain curve of concrete in compression, tension, flexure and torsional fatigue loading were proposed using strain life approach. The parameters such as physical meaning, the ranges, and the impact on the shape of the curve were discussed. Then, the evolution model of fatigue modulus was established based on the fatigue strain, fatigue modulus, residual strain and secondary strain evolution model. The hypothesis of fatigue modulus is inversely related with the fatigue strain amplitude. The fatigue evolution of concrete damages the bond between material grains, changed the orientation of structure of molecules and affects the elastic properties resulting in the reduction of material stiffness and modulus by formation of microcracking, macro cracking, cracking and finally damage. This paper presents the fatigue strain life model and analysis of fatigue strain, fatigue modulus and damage parameters of concrete which is capable of predicting stiffness degradation, inelastic deformation, and strength reduction under fatigue loading and experimental results were employed for the validation of the theoretical model.