Abstract
Concrete is modeled as a linear-elastic softening material and introduced into fracture mechanics. A discrete crack is considered with softening zones at the crack tips. Following the approach of Dugdale and Barenblatt, closing stresses are applied to the crack faces in the softening zone. The stresses are described by a power function. Relations are worked out between the remote stress on a cracked plate, the tensile strength of the material and the size of the softening zone. The finite width of a plate is considered and so are various stress distributions of the softening zone. Experiments were performed to establish the stress-strain behavior of concrete in deformation-controlled uniaxial tensile loading. The results show that nonlinear fracture mechanics can be applied to concrete in order to predict the load-bearing capacity of a cracked structure.
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