Anisotropic modelling and numerical simulation of brittle damage in concrete

A framework for damage mechanics of brittle solids is presented and exploited in the design and numerical implementation of an anisotropic model for the tensile failure of concrete. The key feature exploited in the analysis is the hypothesis of maximum dissipation, which specifies a unique damage rule for the elastic moduli of the solid once a failure surface is specified. A complete algorithmic treatment of the resulting model is given which renders a useful tool for large‐scale inelastic finite element calculations. A rather simple three‐surface failure model for concrete, containing essentially no adjustable parameters, is shown to produce results in remarkably good agreement with sample experimental data.