scholarly journals Numerical Simulation on Size Effect of Fracture Toughness of Concrete Based on Mesomechanics

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Wang ◽  
Qianqian Wu ◽  
Junfeng Guan ◽  
Peng Zhang ◽  
Hongyuan Fang ◽  
...  

The fracture performance of concrete is size-dependent within a certain size range. A four-phase composite material numerical model of mesofracture considering a mortar matrix, coarse aggregates, an interfacial transition zone (ITZ) at the meso level and the initial defects of concrete was established. The initial defects were assumed to be distributed randomly in the ITZ of concrete. The numerical model of concrete mesofracture was established to simulate the fracture process of wedge splitting (WS) concrete specimens with widths of 200–2000 mm and three-point bending (3-p-b) concrete specimens with heights of 200–800 mm. The fracture process of concrete was simulated, and the peak load (Pmax) of concrete was predicted using the numerical model. Based on the simulating results, the influence of specimen size of WS and 3-p-b tests on the fracture parameters was analyzed. It was demonstrated that when the specimen size was large enough, the fracture toughness (KIC) value obtained by the linear elastic fracture mechanics formula was independent of the specimen size. Meanwhile, the improved boundary effect model (BEM) was employed to study the tensile strength (ft) and fracture toughness of concrete using the mesofracture numerical model. A discrete value of β = 1.0–1.4 was a sufficient approximation to determine the ft and KIC values of concrete.

2011 ◽  
Vol 217-218 ◽  
pp. 1438-1443
Author(s):  
Yan Li ◽  
Xin Sheng Yin ◽  
Bo Wang

Aerated concrete is a typical non-uniform quasi-brittle materials, the fracture process is very complicated. To slove the problem of cracks in this block walls, a practical analytical method was proposed based on the vertical mortar joint model to solve the equivalent fracture toughness (the critical value which the crack occurred to spread unstable) With the use of the basic principle of composite material mechanics and linear elastic fracture mechanics. Against the results of the related experiments, the standard deviation and the coefficient of variation of Analytical Solution are smaller, , and the equivalent fracture toughness is the effective fracture parameters of independent of specimen size. So the suggested method is more feasible and applicable, which can forecast autoclaved aerated concrete block wall’s cracking and destroying.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingtong Meng ◽  
Shutong Yang ◽  
Song Yang

In this paper, the fracture behavior of concrete with different initial notch lengths after freeze-thaw action was studied by using three-point bending test. Then, based on the boundary effect model, the parameters indicating the material discontinuity and inhomogeneity were introduced, and the maximum fracture load of the beam was used to determine the real tensile strength and fracture toughness of concrete under different freeze-thaw cycles. Results show that the tensile strength and fracture toughness of concrete are obviously reduced. Compared with the control specimens under indoor condition, the fracture parameters are reduced by more than 38% when the number of freeze-thaw cycles reached 75 times. In this paper, the tensile strength obtained based on the boundary effect model is significantly higher than the splitting tensile strength of concrete due to the incorporation of the discontinuity and non-uniformity of materials, and can more accurately reflect the deterioration and damage degree of concrete after freeze-thaw action.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Huaming An ◽  
Yushan Song ◽  
Hongyuan Liu

A hybrid finite-discrete element method (FDEM) is proposed to model rock fracture initiation and propagation during a three-point bending test under quasistatic and dynamic loading conditions. Three fracture models have been implemented in the FDEM to model the transition from continuum to discontinuum through fracture and fragmentation. The loading rate effect on rock behaviour has been taken into account by the implementation of the relationship between the static and dynamic rock strengths derived from dynamic rock fracture experiments. The Brazilian tensile strength test has been modelled to calibrate the FDEM. The FDEM can well model the stress and fracture propagation and well show the stress distribution along the vertical diameter of the disc during the Brazilian tensile strength test. Then, FDEM is implemented to study the rock fracture process during three-point bending tests under quasistatic and dynamic loading conditions. The FDEM has well modelled the stress and fracture propagation and can obtain reasonable fracture toughness. After that, the effects of the loading rate on the rock strength and rock fracture toughness are discussed, and the mesh size and mesh orientation on the fracture patterns are also discussed. It is concluded that the FDEM can well model the rock fracture process by the implementation of the three fracture models. The FDEM can capture the loading rate effect on rock strength and rock fracture toughness. The FDEM is a valuable tool for studying the rock behaviour on the dynamic loading although the proposed method is sensitive to the mesh size and mesh orientation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Qifeng Guo ◽  
Xinghui Wu ◽  
Meifeng Cai ◽  
Shengjun Miao

To investigate the effects of offset notch on the fracture properties of rock beam under bending load, granite beam specimens with “one single offset notch” and “central and offset double notches” are made. A series of three-point bending beam tests on the specimens are carried out by controlling the displacement rate of central notch. The whole load-displacement (P-CMOD) curves are obtained. Experimental results show that the larger the distance between the offset notch and beam central is, the larger are the peak load and nominal strength of the specimen. The peak load and nominal strength for the “central and offset double notches” specimens are both larger than those for the “single central notch” specimen. A fracture model considering the effect of offset notch is developed, and the relationship between the offset notch parameter, tensile strength, and fracture toughness is established.


2013 ◽  
Vol 577-578 ◽  
pp. 205-208
Author(s):  
Sara Korte ◽  
Veerle Boel ◽  
Wouter de Corte ◽  
Geert de Schutter

Vibrated concrete (VC) and self-compacting concrete (SCC) have a substantially different composition, resulting in dissimilar mechanical properties regarding cracking behaviour. The critical value of the mode I stress-intensity factor KICis an appropriate fracture parameter for evaluating fracture toughness and can be obtained from three-point bending tests (3PBT) on small, notched specimens. Subsequent determination of the energy release rate thus allows to examine the crack propagation and fracture process of both concrete types. This paper describes the results of such 3PBTs on samples, made from VC and SCC. Evaluation of the cracking behaviour, derived from these results, reveals remarkable differences.


Author(s):  
Sahir N. Butt ◽  
Günther Meschke

AbstractIn peridynamic models for fracture, the dissipated fracture energy is regularized over a non-local region denoted as the peridynamic horizon. This paper investigates the influence of this parameter on the dynamic fracture process in brittle solids, using two as well as three dimensional simulations of dynamic fracture propagation in a notched plate for two loading cases. The predicted crack speed for the various scenarios of the initially stored energy, also known as the velocity toughening behavior as well as characteristics of the crack surface topology obtained in different crack propagation regimes in 3D computational simulations are compared with the experimentally observed crack velocity and fracture surfaces for Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) specimens. In addition, we investigate the influence of the specimen size on the dynamic fracture process using two dimensional peridynamic simulations. The fracture strengths and the velocity toughening relationship obtained from different specimen sizes are compared with the Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) size effect relationship and with results from experiments, respectively.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Xu ◽  
Jinyi Ma ◽  
Minxia Zhang ◽  
Yahong Ding ◽  
Lingqi Meng

The method of determining concrete fracture energy recommended by RILEM has an obvious size effect, so determining fracture energy that is unaffected by size of the test specimen is difficult. In this study, 60 high-strength concrete single-edge notched beams (SENBs) of different sizes, crack length-to-depth ratios, and span-to-depth ratios were subjected to the three-point loading test as recommended by RILEM. Then, the influences of the boundary effect on the fracture energy were identified. Based on the SENB boundary effect model, a piecewise function of the interrelationships between the experimental test fracture energy Gf, the local fracture energy gf, and the fracture energy unaffected by specimen size GF was established. The applicability of the boundary effect model was verified using the test results from this study and from the previously published research. The results show that the local fracture energy distribution in the boundary influence region was nonuniform. The smaller the local fracture energy was, the closer it was to the rear boundary of the specimen. The influence length al∗ of the boundary increased with the increasing specimen size. Based on the bilinear distribution model of the local fracture energy gf, the fracture energy unaffected by beam size GF can be obtained according to the fracture energy Gf measured for laboratory-scale small-sized SENB specimens. Furthermore, the model predictions are in good agreement with experimental observations.


Geofluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Yu Yan ◽  
Shiyuan Li

Rich in valuable reserves, conglomerate reservoirs in China have gradually emerged as a fundamental development source. Currently, research pertaining to the macromechanical properties of crack propagation in conglomerates is conducted either by directly employing various physical tests or by formulating a simplified numerical model for simulation, while disregarding the influence of the conglomerate mesostructure. In this paper, the analysis is performed by adopting techniques such as CT scanning and Particle Flow Code (PFC) numerical simulation. CT scanning is used to identify the mesoscopic structure of the conglomerate, and then, a numerical model is devised in accordance with the CT scanned digital image. Three-point bending simulation experiments are conducted for 3 sets of semicircular conglomerate specimens possessing prefabricated cracks, to analyze the influence of the initiation and evolution of mesostructure on the fracture failure behavior. Research suggests: ① The mesostructure within the conglomerate is complexified due to the presence of gravel. Conglomerate specimens exhibiting different mesostructures tend to diversify the possible modes of destruction of the conglomerate. ② A fluctuation is noticed at peak load under the fracture toughness test. The numerical simulation of the fracture toughness undertaken via the PFC method revealed the reason for the peak load fluctuation during the fracture propagation to be the constant penetration of the cracks into or out of gravel particles. ③ The fracture toughness simulation tests ascertain the existence of certain fracture characteristic units during the fracture propagation process, wherein the evolution of the internal mesostructure considerably influences the macroscopic failure mode of the conglomerate.


2016 ◽  
Vol 848 ◽  
pp. 249-255
Author(s):  
Xiao Cong Hang ◽  
Yun Kai Li

The wide use of ceramic material in engineering is restricted by its brittleness, so the strengthening and toughening of ceramics is always a hot spot of research in material area. And in general, the modification of ceramics is achieved by changing its internal microstructure. In this paper the influence of confinement on the mechanical properties of ceramics and the specific use of this method were investigated. Firstly, the influence of confinement on ceramic’s fracture process was analyzed in theory. Then the three-point bending test was conducted using two types of ceramics, viz. Zirconia and Alumina. The experimental results showed that the fracturing load of zirconia increased from 4.3298 to 5.4639KN as the confinement was increased from 0 to 150MPa, 26.19% increase was found in the confined specimen. The same trend was observed in alumina, whose fracturing load increased from 3.0446 to 5.0259KN as the confinement was increased from 0 to 150MPa, 65.07% increase was found. After that, a series of ballistic experiments were performed. The target in this experiment was boron carbide ceramic, and it was confined by 45 steel. The results showed that with the constraint force was bigger, the ballistic efficiency factor was better and the depth of penetration was smaller. In other words, the confinement can increase the defensible performance of the target. In summary, the ceramic’s fracture toughness, defensible performance and ballistic efficiency factor can be increased by adding confinement to it.


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