Analysis of the Versatility of Multi-Linear Softening Functions Applied in the Simulation of Fracture Behaviour of Fibre-Reinforced Cementitious Materials

Materials (Basel). 2019 Nov 6;12(22):3656. doi: 10.3390/ma12223656.

Abstract

Fibre-reinforced cementitious materials (FRC) have become an attractive alternative for structural applications. Among such FRC, steel- and polyolefin fibre-reinforced concrete and glass fibre-reinforced concrete are the most used ones. However, in order to exploit the properties of such materials, structural designers need constitutive relations that accurately reproduce FRC fracture behaviour. This contribution analyses the suitability of multilinear softening functions combined with a cohesive crack approach for reproducing the fracture behaviour of the FRC mentioned earlier. The performed implementation accurately simulated fracture behaviour, while being versatile, robust, and efficient from a numerical point-of-view.

Keywords: cohesive fracture of fibre-reinforced concrete; fracture behaviour; glass fibre-reinforced concrete; polyolefin fibre; softening functions; steel fibres.