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Semi-analytical solution of cohesive zone model for cement-based materials
Yong-Kang Hou1,2, Shu-Jin Duan3, Rui-Mei An4
1School of Urban Geology and Engineering, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang, 050031, People's Republic of China.
Scientific Reports
|August 20, 2025
Summary
This study developed a semi-analytical cohesive zone model (CZM) to accurately predict the tensile failure of cement materials. The model shows high accuracy in determining crack opening displacement and material cohesion.
Area of Science:
- Civil Engineering
- Materials Science
- Mechanics of Materials
Background:
- Low tensile strength is a major limitation for cement-based materials.
- Understanding tensile cracking mechanisms is crucial for material and structural design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a semi-analytical solution for the cohesive zone model (CZM) to describe the failure mode of cement-based materials.
- To provide a new method for determining the analytical solution of CZM using fracture mechanics principles and experimental data.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the boundary collocation method with Williams stress function to obtain linear elastic solutions.
- Employed the weighted integral method to combine CZM with the fracture process zone (FPZ) and experimental crack opening displacement (COD) data.
- Validated the model using wedge-splitting tests.
Main Results:
- The proposed CZM accurately predicted crack opening displacement (COD), with a maximum error of 15.5% compared to experimental data.
- The calculated cohesion at the crack tip showed a minimal error of 2.1% compared to the experimentally determined tensile strength of cement-based materials.
- Demonstrated the high accuracy of the developed CZM in simulating cement-based material failure.
Conclusions:
- The semi-analytical CZM provides a reliable approach for analyzing the tensile failure of cement-based materials.
- The method offers a novel way to determine CZM analytical solutions based on fracture mechanics and experimental measurements.
- Findings support improved design of cement-based materials and structures with enhanced tensile properties.
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