Dual Failure Criterion for Plain Concrete

Abstract

Considering plain concrete as an isotropic homogeneous continuum, a criterion has been proposed to govern the failure of this material. According to this dual fracture-yield criterion, two modes of failure are possible, i.e., the material element may fail either in shear or in tension depending upon the corresponding strain (stress) state. It is shown in this paper that the proposed failure criterion is capable of predicting with accuracy the experimental results obtained from two different types of test. Moreover, it is proposed that the plane of the cleavage crack can be normal to the direction of the maximum tensile strain. This proposal can successfully predict the modes of failure of several experimental observations. A method has also been proposed of obtaining constant stress and strain states during unconfined compression tests.