Characteristic length of damage localization in concrete

摘要

Computer modeling of crack propagation in concrete requires the knowledge of the characteristic length of failure localization, which coincides with the thickness of the fracture process zone in tension. We propose a simple formula for the calculation of the characteristic length of failure localization. Remarkably, the formula does not require the knowledge of the internal structure of concrete and its components can be derived from the macroscopic experiments only. A trial calculation gives a magnitude of the characteristic length that is in a good agreement with the reported experimental data.