Analysis of strain localization phenomena in cohesive-frictional materials

Abstract

The growth of the finite element method as a tool in structural analysis requires the use of concrete models capable of exhibiting responses beyond the elastic range. In recent years, considerable interest has arisen in the characterization and modeling of materials which include a softening phase in their mechanical behaviour. This softening is often related to the interaction between microstructural components of the material, which results in the generation of non-homogeneous strain states where deformations are localized in relatively thin bands. The object of this work is to contribute to the numerical analysis of the phenomenon of strain localization as it arises in cohesive frictional materials. Special attention is paid to the behaviour of mass concrete and, particularly, to its characterization and modeling during uniaxial compression.