A mesoscale model for concrete to simulate mechanical failure

In this paper, a mesoscale model of concrete is presented, which considers particles, matrix material and the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) as separate constituents. Particles are represented as ellipsoides, generated according to a prescribed grading curve and placed randomly into the specimen. In this context, an efficient separation procedure is used. The nonlinear behavior is simulated with a cohesive interface model for the ITZ and a combined damage/plasticity model for the matrix material. The mesoscale model is used to simulate a compression and a tensile test. Furthermore, the influence of the particle distribution on the loaddisplacement curve is investigated.