• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.4A
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• pp.353-359
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• 2010

Cementitious matrix based composites are vulnerable to the drying shrinkage crack during the curing process. In this study, the drying shrinkage induced fracture behavior of the fiber reinforced concrete is simulated and the effects of the fiber reinforcement conditions on the fracture characteristics are analysed. The numerical model is composed of conduit elements and rigid-body-spring elements on the identical irregular lattice topology, where the drying shrinkage is presented by the coupling of nonmechanical-mechanical behaviors handled by those respective element types. Semi-discrete fiber elements are applied within the rigid-body-spring network to model the fiber reinforcement. The shrinkage parameters are calibrated through the KS F 2424 free drying shrinkage test simulation and comparison of the time-shrinkage strain curves. Next, the KS F 2595 restrained drying shrinkage test is simulated for various fiber volume fractions and the numerical model is verified by comparison of the crack initiating time with the previous experimental results. In addition, the drying shrinkage cracking phenomenon is analysed with change in the length and the surface shape of the fibers, the measurement of the maximum crack width in the numerical experiment indicates the judgement of the crack controlling effect.