ECCOMAS 2024

Modeling of structural compressive fatigue propagation in concrete using the microplane sliding model MS1

  • Baktheer, Abedulgader (RWTH Aachen University)
  • Esfandiari, Soheil (RWTH Aachen University)
  • Aguilar, Mario (RWTH Aachen University)
  • Becks, Henrik (RWTH Aachen University)
  • Classen, Martin (RWTH Aachen University)
  • Chudoba, Rostislav (RWTH Aachen University)

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In high-performance reinforced concrete (RC) structures of today, the phenomenon of compressive fatigue in concrete is of primary importance, which is mainly due to the high material utilization. Despite of intensive research on concrete fatigue, the transfer of fatigue characteristics determined at the material level to the structural level remains a challenging issue. In this contribution, the propagation of fatigue-induced damage through the concrete structure and the corresponding phenomenon of fatigue stress redistribution are analyzed using a microplane fatigue model for concrete recently developed by the authors [1]. To this end, our recent experimental study in which the fatigue propagation was monitored at the structural level represented by prestressed concrete beams [2] is used to derive a general interpretation of the stress redistribution process using of the developed model. The 3D numerical fatigue simulations show that the developed microplane fatigue model provides a powerful computational tool for in-depth analysis of the correspondence between the fatigue behavior at the material and structural scales in a wide range of load configurations. In addition, the thermodynamically based constitutive model enables the quantification of energy dissipation during the process, which provides the opportunity to derive material-specific energetic properties that can help to make the prediction of fatigue life more accurate. REFERENCES [1] A. Baktheer , M. Aguilar & R. Chudoba (2021). Microplane fatigue model MS1 for plain concrete under compression with damage evolution driven by cumulative inelastic shear strain. International Journal of Plasticity, 143, 102950. [2] H. Becks, A. Baktheer, S. Marx, M. Classen, J. Hegger & R. Chudoba (2023). Monitoring concept for the propagation of compressive fatigue in externally prestressed concrete beams using digital image correlation and fiber optic sensors. Fatigue & Fracture of Engineering Materials & Structures, 46(2): 514-526