Concrete mesoscopic failure analysis with the Virtual Element Method

Numerical simulations of fracture processes in cementitious materials are approached by combining a discrete crack approach, based on the use of zero-thickness Interface Elements (IEs), and the Virtual Element Method (VEM), which allows very efficient and effective spacial discretizations and numerical procedures. The proposed methodology is used for simulating the non-linear mechanical response and cracking process of cement-based composites at the mesoscopic level of observation. The potentials of VEM for realistically representing complex geometries such as those characterizing composite inclusions are used for discretizing domains of coarse aggregates which are composed by arbitrary number of edges (not necessarily convex). In this regard, the use of VEM allows to easily handle hanging nodes, flat angles and/or collapsing nodes while retaining the same approximation properties of FEM. Stress-crack opening processes are modeled by means of classical zero-thickness IEs which are placed in between the solid virtual elements. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the soundness and capabilities of the proposed novel approach.