Coupled viscoplasticity damage constitutive model for concrete materials

Abstract

A coupled viscoplasticity damage constitutive model for concrete materials is developed within the framework of irreversible thermodynamics. Simultaneously the Helmholtz free energy function and a non-associated flow potential function are given, which include the internal variables of kinematic hardening, isotropic hardening and damage. Results from the numerical simulation show that the model presented can describe the deformation properties of the concrete without the formal hypotheses of yield criterion and failure criteria, such as the volume dilatancy under the compression, strain-rate sensitivity, stiffness degradation and stress-softening behavior beyond the peak stress which are brought by damages and fractures. Moreover, we could benefit from the application of the finite element method based on this model under complex loading because of not having to choose different constitutive models based on the deformation level.