Assessment of the crack propagation in reinforced concrete

Cracking of concrete is a complex phenomenon induced by direct loads or restraints affecting reinforced concrete structures as soon as the tensile strength of the concrete is exceeded. Hence it is important to predict where cracks will be located and how they will propagate. This paper presents a short overview on the experiments on R/C-panels and slabs carried out in the Laboratory for Structural Engineering at the University of the German Armed Forces in Munich and on the results obtained. Next, the current research carried out by the author is presented. To understand the stress distribution in the direct vicinity of the longitudinal and transversal reinforcement bars a small simplified section of a R/C slab was modeled in the finite element program ANSYS. The aim is to evaluate the capabilities and limitations of the Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) implemented in ANSYS to simulate crack growth and to determine where the crack will initiate and propagate in this region.