Integrated Fracture-Based Model Formulation for RC Crack Analysis
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 7
Abstract
There is an opportunity to revisit and generalize classical theories for concrete cracking in light of increased interest in the use of nonconventional reinforcing materials and material efficiency. Fracture-based models to describe concrete cracking have potential but a limitation has been that many variables and different phenomena have to be incorporated to produce realistic material models. In this paper, an integrated fracture-based model (IFBM) is developed to predict the behavior of lightly reinforced concrete beams. The proposed model is a closed-form solution that integrates different local phenomena to more precisely describe the onset of cracking, crack propagation and crack rotation. The IFBM incorporates postcracking tensile stresses in the concrete, the bond-slip behavior between the reinforcement and concrete, and compression softening in the concrete compressive zone. The model can predict parameters such as the crack length development and crack mouth opening displacement in Mode I lightly reinforced concrete flexural specimens subjected to three-point bending. The predictions show a fairly good agreement with experimental results for small-scale reinforced concrete beams with low reinforcement ratios (0.15–0.5%). The ability of the IFBM to identify specific failure modes and to capture the crack propagation and crack rotation stages of behavior in lightly reinforced concrete beams are particular advantages. Such an approach provides a powerful tool to study the problem of minimum reinforcement requirements.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Yousef Jameel Foundation and Cambridge Overseas Trust (COT) for their financial support of this research.
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Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 144 • Issue 7 • July 2018
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©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jul 4, 2017
Accepted: Dec 13, 2017
Published online: Apr 30, 2018
Published in print: Jul 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Sep 30, 2018
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