Material Model for Concrete in Cracked and Uncracked States

Abstract

An elastoplastic model for concrete is presented that covers the nonlinear triaxial behavior of concrete under compressive and tensile loading, compressive failure, and tensile cracking. In all the states, the model is based on the same concept. For the description of the prefailure behavior, two different hardening functions are introduced that control the expansion and the transposition of the “yield surface.” To simulate tensile cracking, a “smeared‐crack approach” is chosen. The elastoplastic concept is extended, whereas the anisotropic behavior of cracked concrete is taken into account. By introducing a new combination of isotropic expansion and kinematic transposition of the “yield surface,” steady transitions between compression and tension zones are obtained both in cracked and uncracked states. Comparisons with test results show the very good capacity of the proposed model to cover the material behavior both in the pre‐ and postfailure regions. By applying the method of finite elements, the analysis of notched beams demonstrates that the model is very well suited to predict the response of concrete structures.