• Computers and Concrete
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.51-61
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• 2019

Compressive ability is one of the most important mechanical properties of concrete material. The compressive failure process of concrete is pretty complex with internal tension, shear damage and friction between cracks. To simulate the complex fracture process of concrete at meso level, methodology for meso-structural analysis of concrete specimens is developed; the zero thickness cohesive elements are pre-inserted to simulate the crack initiation and propagation; the constitutive applied in cohesive element is established to describe the mechanism of crack separation, closure and friction behavior between the fracture surfaces. A series of simulations were carried out based on the model proposed in this paper. The results reproduced the main fracture and mechanical feature of concrete under compression condition. The effect of key material parameters, structure size, and aggregate content on the concrete fracture pattern and loading carrying capacities was investigated. It is found that the inner friction coefficient has a significant influence on the compression character of concrete, the compression strength raises linearly with the increase of the inner friction coefficient, and the fracture pattern is sensitive to the mesostructure of concrete.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.1453-1463
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• 2013

In this study, we investigated the effect of the indenter geometry on the crack characteristics by indentation cracking test and FEA. We conducted various cohesive finite element simulations based on the findings of Lee et al. (2012), who examined the effect of cohesive model parameters on crack size and formulated conditions for crack initiation and propagation. First, we verified the FE model through comparisons with experimental results that were obtained from Berkovich and Vickers indentations. We observed whether nonsymmetrical cracks formed beneath the surface during Berkovich indentation via FEA. Finally, we examined the relation between the crack size and the number of cracks. Based on this relation and the effect of the indenter angle on the crack size, we can predict from the crack size obtained with an indenter of one shape (such as Berkovich or Vickers) the crack size for an indenter of different shape.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.357-364
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• 2006

The meshfree method is extended by the local partition of unity method to model the cohesive cracks in two dimensional continuum The shape function of a particle whose domain of influence is completely cut by a crack is enriched by the step enrichment function. If the domain of influence contains a crack tip inside, it is enriched by the branch enrichment function without the stress singularity. It is found that this method is more accurate and converges faster than the meshless methods for LEFM cracks based on the visibility concept Several staic and dynamic examples are solved to verify the method.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.529-547
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• 2011

This paper presents the global-local finite cover method (GL-FCM) that is capable of analyzing structures involving local heterogeneities and propagating cracks. The suggested method is composed of two techniques. One of them is the FCM, which is one of the PU-based generalized finite element methods, for the analysis of local cohesive crack growth. The mechanical behavior evaluated in local heterogeneous structures by the FCM is transferred to the overall (global) structure by the so-called mortar method. The other is a method of mesh superposition for hierarchical modeling, which enables us to evaluate the average stiffness by the analysis of local heterogeneous structures not subjected to crack propagation. Several numerical experiments are conducted to validate the accuracy of the proposed method. The capability and applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated in an illustrative numerical example, in which we predict the mechanical deterioration of a reinforced concrete (RC) structure, whose local regions are subjected to propagating cracks induced by reinforcement corrosion.

• Advanced Composite Materials
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.45-61
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• 2007

This paper describes a damage accumulation mechanism in cross-ply CFRP laminates $[0_2/90_2]_{2S}$ subjected to out-of-plane loading. Drop-weight impact and static indentation tests were carried out, and induced damage was observed by ultrasonic C-scan and an optical microscope. Both tests gave essentially the same results for damage modes, sizes, and load-deformation history. First, a crack occurred in the bottom $0^{\circ}$ layer accompanying some delamination along the crack caused by bending stress. Then, transverse cracks occurred in the middle $90^{\circ}$ layer with decreasing contact force between the specimen and the indenter. Measured local strains near the impact point showed that the stress state changed from a bending dominant state to an in-plane tensile dominant state. A cohesive interface element was used to simulate the propagation of multiple delaminations and transverse cracks under static indentation. Two types of analytical models are considered, one with multiple delaminations and the other with both multiple delaminations and transverse cracks. The damage obtained for the model with only multiple delaminations was quite different from that obtained from the experiment. However, the results obtained from the model with both delaminations and transverse cracks well explain the characteristics of the damage obtained in the experiment. The existence of the transverse cracks is essential to form the characteristic impact damage.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.42 no.11
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• pp.911-918
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• 2014

In this paper, a selective activation strategy of cohesive elements using user subroutine UMPC was studied as an efficient solution for the added compliance problem in cohesive zone model crack propagation analyses. The cohesive elements were inserted between every bulk elements in region where cracks were expected to initiate and propagate, but initially not activated by tying the cohesive nodes using multi-point constraints. During analyses, the cohesive elements for which specified criterion was met were selectively activated by releasing the constraints. The effect of initial cohesive stiffness and the release criterion on the crack propagation behavior was carefully investigated.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.395-407
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• 2022

In this paper, cracks with different angles are prefabricated in rock specimens to study the fracture characteristics of rock based on CT images. The rock specimens are prepared for compression tests according to the standard recommended by ISRM (International Society for Rock Mechanics). The effects of different angles on rock mechanical properties and crack propagation fracture modes are analyzed. Then, based on the cohesive element method and CT images, the relationship between porosity and Young's modulus as well as the fracture property is explored by the numerical modelling. In the modelling, the distribution of Young's modulus is determined by the CT image through the field variable method. The results show that prefabricated cracks reduce the mechanical properties of rock. The closer the angles of the prefabricated crack is, the greater the Young's modulus of the rock sample is. The failure process of each specimen with prefabricated cracks is formed by the initiation and propagation of crack, and the angle of the prefabricated crack will affect the type of extended crack. As part of the numerical model proposed in this paper, the microstructure of rocks is reflected by CT images. The numerical results verify the effectiveness of the cohesive element method in the study of crack propagation for rock. The rock model in this paper can be used to predict engineering disasters such as collapse and landslide caused by rock fracture, which means that the methodology adopted in this paper is comprehensive and important to solve rock engineering problems.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.199-206
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• 2018

In this study, numerical analysis is applied to a two - dimensional model for verifying the general finite element program, Abaqus' s extended finite element method(XFEM). The cohesive element model used in the existing research has a limitation in simulating the actual crack because of the disadvantage that the crack path should be predicted and the element should be inserted. For this reason, the extended finite element method(XFEM), which predicts the path of cracks based on the directionality and specificity of stress, is emerging as a new solution in crack analysis. The validity of the XFEM application was confirmed by comparing the cohesive element analysis with the XFEM analysis by applying the crack path to the self - evident two - dimensional model. Numerical analysis confirms stress distribution and stress specificity immediately before crack initiation and compares it with actual crack initiation path. Based on this study, it is expected that cracks can be simulated by performing actual crack propagation analysis of complex models.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.227-248
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• 2004

A combined experimental-computational study of a double edge-notched stone specimen subjected to tensile loading is presented. In the experimental part, the load-deformation response and the displacement field around the crack tip are recorded. An Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometer (ESPI) is used to obtain the local displacement field. The experimental results are used to validate a numerical model for the description of fracture using finite elements. The numerical model uses displacement discontinuities to model cracks. At the discontinuity, a plasticity-based cohesive zone model is applied for monotonic loading and a combined damage-plasticity cohesive zone model is used for cyclic loading. Both local and global results from the numerical simulations are compared with experimental data. It is shown that local measurements add important information for the validation of the numerical model. Consequently, the numerical models are enhanced in order to correctly capture the experimentally observed behaviour.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.86 no.1
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• pp.139-156
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• 2023

The reinforced concrete lining in the hydraulic pressure tunnel tends to crack during the water-filling process. The lining will be detached from the surrounding rock due to the inner water exosmosis along concrete cracks. From the previous research achievements, the cohesive element is widely adopted to simulate the concrete crack but rarely adopted to simulate the lining-rock interface. In this study, the zero-thickness cohesive element with hydro-mechanical coupling property is not only employed to simulate the traditional concrete crack, but also innovatively introduced to simulate the lining-rock interface. Combined with the indirect-coupled method, the hydro-mechanical coupling algorithm of the reinforced concrete lining in hydraulic pressure tunnels is proposed and implemented in the finite element code ABAQUS. The calculated results reveal the cracking mechanism of the reinforced concrete lining, and match well with the observed engineering phenomenon.