State-of-the-art of macroscopic constitutive models of concrete

Abstract

Recently, with the rapid development of structural engineering, the high-fidelity nonlinear numerical simulation and performance-based design of engineering structures under rare earthquake and wind load are strongly required. The concrete material in structural engineering is quasi-brittle material, and experimental studies have shown that the concrete has notable major characteristics such as compression softening, tension softening, shear softening and pinching effect. Six kinds of concrete constitutive models in structural engineering, including nonlinear elastic model, brittle cracking model, elasto-plastic crack model, damage model, microplane model and total value model based on decoupling assumption were reviewed. The weakness of existing models was evaluated based on the literature review. Multi-surface plasticity models achieve relatively good prediction accuracy for uniaxial loading of concrete members. Plasticity damage models may be difficult to simulate the shear force transfer across cracked surfaces. The total value model based on decoupling assumption can approximately considering the compression softening, tension softening, pinching effect, strength degradation due to principal tensile strain, and shear softening. In addition, prospective problems of macroscopic constitutive models that need to be investigated were illustrated. This paper provides reference for the selection of concrete constitutive models and parameter calibration in structural engineering.