Adaptive Mesh Strategy for Efficient Use of Interface Elements in a 3D Probabilistic Explicit Cracking Model for...

Area of Science:

• Computational mechanics
• Materials science
• Civil engineering

Background:

• Explicit cracking models are crucial for simulating concrete failure.
• Adaptive mesh strategies aim to improve computational efficiency and accuracy.
• Existing methods often struggle with stress redistribution after cracking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel 3D adaptive probabilistic explicit cracking model for concrete.
• To introduce a new adaptive mesh strategy optimizing interface element usage.
• To enhance the prediction of stress redistribution and scale effects in concrete cracking.

Main Methods:

• Development and evaluation of three distinct adaptive mesh strategies.
• Implementation of a 3D adaptive probabilistic explicit cracking model.
• Validation against experimental observations of plain concrete tensile failure.

Main Results:

• The proposed adaptive mesh strategy effectively handles stress redistribution.
• The model accurately predicts the scale effect in plain concrete, comparable to experimental data.
• Significant reductions in simulation time were achieved compared to classical strategies.

Conclusions:

• The developed adaptive mesh strategy is advantageous for probabilistic explicit cracking models.
• The model provides accurate predictions for concrete tensile failure and scale effects.
• The approach offers substantial computational efficiency gains.