• 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.

• 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.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.207-222
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• 2019

This paper has presented an effective and accurate meso-scale finite element model for simulating the fracture process of concrete under compression-shear loading. In the proposed model, concrete is parted into four important phases: aggregates, cement matrix, interfacial transition zone (ITZ), and the initial defects. Aggregate particles were modelled as randomly distributed polygons with a varying size according to the sieve curve developed by Fuller and Thompson. With regard to initial defects, only voids are considered. Cohesive elements with zero thickness are inserted into the initial mesh of cement matrix and along the interface between aggregate and cement matrix to simulate the cracking process of concrete. The constitutive model provided by ABAQUS is modified based on Wang's experiment and used to describe the failure behaviour of cohesive elements. User defined programs for aggregate delivery, cohesive element insertion and modified facture constitutive model are developed based on Python language, and embedded into the commercial FEM package ABAQUS. The effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed model are firstly identified by comparing the numerical results with the experimental ones, and then it is used to investigate the effect of meso-structure on the macro behavior of concrete. The shear strength of concrete under different pressures is also involved in this study, which could provide a reference for the macroscopic simulation of concrete component under shear force.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.85 no.4
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• pp.511-529
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• 2023

This paper aims to better understand the bonding behavior in Reinforced Concrete beams strengthened with an Ultra-High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (RCUHPFRC) layer on the compression side using experimental tests and numerical analyses. The UHPFRC mix design was obtained through an optimization procedure, and the characterization of the materials included compression and slant shear tests. Flexural tests were carried out in RC beams and RC-UHPFRC beams. The tests demonstrated a debonding of the UHPFRC layer. In addition, 3D finite element analyses were carried out in the Abaqus CAE program, in which the interface is modeled considering a zero-thickness cohesive-contact approach. The cohesive parameters are investigated, aiming to calibrate the numerical models, and a sensitivity analysis is performed to check the reliability of the assumed cohesive parameters and the mesh size. Finally, the experimental and numerical values are compared, showing a good approximation for both the RC beams and the RC strengthened beams.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.159-172
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• 2014

A finite element model with the consideration of damage initiation and evolution has been developed for the analysis of the dynamic response of a composite sandwich panel subject to low velocity impact. Typical damage modes including fiber breakage, matrix crushing and cracking, delamination and core crushing are considered in this model. Strain-based Hashin failure criteria with stiffness degradation mechanism are used in predicting the initiation and evolution of intra-laminar damage modes by self-developed VUMAT subroutine. Zero-thickness cohesive elements are adopted along the interface regions between the facesheets and the foam core to simulate the initiation and propagation of delamination. A crushable foam core model with volumetric hardening rule is used to simulate the mechanical behavior of foam core material at the plastic state. The time history curves of contact force and the core collapse area are obtained. They all show a good correlation with the experimental data.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.91-107
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• 2014

Using the principle of damage mechanics, zero-thickness pore pressure cohesive elements (PPCE) are used to simulate the casing-cement interface (CCI) and cement-rock interface (CRI). The traction-separation law describes the emergence and propagation of the PPCE. Mohr-coulomb criteria determines the elastic and plastic condition of cement sheath and rock. The finite element model (FEM) of delamination fractures emergence and propagation along the casing-cement-rock (CCR) interfaces during hydraulic fracturing is established, and the emergence and propagation of fractures along the wellbore axial and circumferential direction are simulated. Regadless of the perforation angle (the angle between the perforation and the max. horizontal principle stress), mirco-annulus will be produced alonge the wellbore circumferential direction when the cementation strength of the CCI and the CRI is less than the rock tensile strength; the delamination fractures are hard to propagate along the horizontal wellbore axial direction; emergence and propagation of delamination fractures are most likely produced on the shallow formation when the in-situ stresses are lower; the failure mode of cement sheath in the deep well is mainly interfaces seperation and body damange caused by cement expansion and contraction, or pressure testing and well shut-in operations.