FAILURE OF CONCRETE: FRACTURE MECHANICS APPROACH

A series of studies on application of fracture mechanics to failure of concrete are summarized. Tapies discussed in this paper include toughening mechanisms in the fracture process zone of concrete, principies of linear elastic fracture mechanics, various nonlinear fracture models, the determination of material fracture parameters, R-curve approaches, fracture of fiber reinforced concrete and mixed mode and mode II fracture. It is shown that fracture mechanics has now been established as a fundamental approach to describe crack propagation and subsequent failure of concrete structures. This paper summarized a series of studies on application of fracture mechanics to cracking and failure of cement-based materials. The basic concepts of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) are reviewed. Toughening mechanisms in the fracture process zone of concrete are discussed. The determination of material fracture parameters of concrete are mentioned. Various modified Griffith fracture models and R-curve approaches used to describe fracture of cement -based materials are summarized. Mixed m o de and m o de II fracture of concrete are discussed.

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