Finite element simulation of concrete with a plastic damage model - Basic studies on normal strength concrete and UHPC

Non-linear finite element simulations on the structural behavior of concrete and reinforced concrete structures gain vital importance in structural engineering practice. In commercial finite element programs, different options are available for modeling the concrete behavior by means of plastic material models. To apply these material models, knowledge of the material behavior under uniaxial compressive and tensile stresses is usually required. In this paper, various approaches for the mathematical description of these constitutive laws for normal strength concrete and ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) are presented and analyzed in terms of their applicability in plastic material models. Numerical simulations were carried out using a plastic damage model with single parameter sets for each concrete and compared with experimental results. The investigations comprised material tests on normal strength concrete and UHPC under various uni- and multi-axial stress states. By selecting suitable constitutive laws, a good correlation between the simulated and experimental behavior of concrete structures was obtained.