Evaluation of a proposed model for concrete at mesoscopic scale

Abstract This work deals with numerical modeling of mechanical behavior in quasi-brittle materials, such as concrete. For this propose, a two-dimensional meso-scale model based on RVE existence is presented. The material is considered as a three-phase material consisting of interface zone (ITZ), matrix and inclusions - each constituent modeled by an independent constitutive model. The Representative Volume Element (RVE) consists of inclusions idealized as circular shapes symmetrically and non-symmetrically placed into the specimen. The interface zone is modeled by means of cohesive contact finite elements. The inclusion is modeled as linear elastic and matrix region is considered as elastoplastic material. Our main goal here is to show a computational homogenization-based approach as an alternative to complex macroscopic constitutive models for the mechanical behavior of the brittle materials using a finite element procedure within a purely kinematical multi-scale framework. Besides, the fundamental importance of the representing dissipative phenomena in the interface zone to model the complex microstructural responses of materials like concrete is focused in this work. A set of numerical examples, involving the microcracking processes, is provided in order to illustrate the performance of the proposed modeling.