Comparison of the response of reinforced concrete structures modeled in mesoscale for different damage models

Resumo

The continuous damage mechanics allows the construction of constitutive models that represent well the
behavior of concrete structures. In this work, a computational code is developed, using the positional approach of
the Finite Element Method (FEM), which allows to represent the concrete degradation using two different damage
models. In the first, the degradation is distributed in the elements that discretize the concrete. In the second, the
damage model is applied to interface elements and makes it possible to represent discrete cracks in the structure.
The objective is to compare the performance of these models by applying them to the same structure to verify the
proximity of the force-displacement curves and cracking patterns. Where do we seek to define the best for each
type of use. The concrete is represented in mesoscale, where the finite element meshes that represent the coarse
aggregates and the mortar are generated independently and are superimposed to form the composite material. The
damage models were applied to a reinforced concrete beam and it was found that the model applied to interface
elements represents the cracks better, but the computational cost is higher.