Generalised calibration and optimization of concrete damage plasticity model for finite element simulation of cracked reinforced concrete structures

Abstract

• An enhanced and calibrated concrete damage plasticity model for accurate and efficient simulation of cracked reinforced concrete under various loading conditions is presented. • The model is enhanced with compression-softening and tension-stiffening effects, improving response and damage predictions for RC structures. • The model is validated through material-level tests (uniaxial, biaxial, monotonic, and cyclic loading) and structural-level simulations (RC beam-column joints and shear walls), demonstrating its accuracy across different scales. • The model successfully replicates critical cyclic response characteristics such as hysteresis loop, stiffness degradation, energy dissipation, and crack propagation patterns. • This study provides an efficient and reliable approach for simulating the non-linear response of concrete structures under monotonic and cyclic loading. Assessing reinforced concrete (RC) structures under various loading conditions requires precise numerical models capable of capturing the complex nonlinear behaviours of concrete, including cracking, crushing, tension stiffening, compression softening, stiffness degradation, and bond-slip effects. This paper introduces a generalized, calibrated, and optimized concrete damage plasticity model (CDPM) to enhance simulation accuracy for both monotonic and cyclic loads. The model is enhanced by incorporating RC crucial effects such as tension-stiffening and compression-softening and addressing the critical interdependencies, such as those between dilatancy and the damage model, as well as the influence of viscosity regulation and mesh sensitivity. This approach also systematically optimizes the calibration of critical parameters to improve the representation of concrete behaviour. The model is validated through a dual-scale approach, comparing its predictions to existing test data from the literature. Material-level validation includes uniaxial and cyclic compression, tension, and biaxial loading experiments, while structural-level validation involves simulations of RC beam-column joints and shear walls under both monotonic and cyclic loading conditions, incorporating considerations for bond slip. The effects of tension softening, tension-stiffening, dilation angle, and viscosity parameter regulation are also evaluated. The findings demonstrate that the model accurately replicates experimental results at both material and structural levels under monotonic and cyclic loading conditions. It effectively captures key aspects such as stiffness degradation and energy dissipation in reinforced concrete under cyclic loads. By incorporating essential features like compression-softening and tension-stiffening effects, selecting appropriate constitutive relations, and optimizing parameters and calibration, this model enhances the accuracy of simulating concrete behaviour. Overall, this enhancement in the CDPM provides a more efficient and precise approach for analysing concrete structures under diverse loading scenarios.

Topics & Concepts