MODEⅠ-FRACTURE SIMULATION OF CONCRETE BASED ON 3D DISTINCT ELEMENT METHOD

For the purpose of numerical simulation of transition process from continua to discontinua and even to structural collapse, the fracture of quasi-brittle materials such as concrete and rock under tensile state is analyzed by rotating smeared-crack model and discrete crack model based on the deformable distinct element method (DEM). The models are then applied to analyze the problems of uniaxial tension and three-point bending beam test. The comparison between experimental and numerical results shows that the models are able to appropriately predict the load-displacement response of the beam under uniform fracture energy. The discrete crack model is not only capable of obtaining the load-displacement curve of the entire fracture process but also of simulating the collapse behavior when the system partially or completely reaches failure.