Issue 61

H. Mazighi et alii, Frattura ed Integrità Strutturale, 61 (2022) 154-175; DOI: 10.3221/IGF-ESIS.61.11

Simulation for a rate Gc=200 N/m We describe and analyze the results of the simulation of our four adopted cases in this section with Griffith’s critical energy release rate is now Gc = 200 N/m. The result for the model with crack I –the initial fracture at the highest level, Case I– are included in Fig. 9. Both simulations with Gc = 100 N/m and Gc = 200 N/m present the same pattern of crest displacement evolution. Both simulations present two plateaus, the first one due to a sudden propagation of the initial fracture, and the second due to the branching of the fracture. However, the model with the highest toughness requires a higher overflow to initiate the fracture propagation. Nevertheless, for the same final overflow, 11 m, the final crest displacement is 80 mm in both simulations, i.e., the final crest displacement is almost independent of the toughness of concrete, as well as the final fracture pattern.

(a)

Step A

Step B

Step C

Step D

(b) Figure 9: (a) Overflow against crest displacement for Case I with Gc=200 N/m. (b) Contour plots of the phase-field at four-time steps.

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