Dynamic fracture of concrete L-specimen: Experimental and numerical study

• Experimental and 3D FE analysis of L-specimens under different loading rates.
• Loading rate significantly influences crack propagation direction of L-specimen.
• For strain rates greater than 10/s significant effect of inertia is observed.
• Crack branching is observed at crack speed of approximately 750 m/s.
• The used 3D FE code realistically replicate dynamic fracture of concrete.

To confirm the findings of previously performed numerical studies, experimental and numerical studies on L-specimen loaded under different loading rates are performed. For strain rates lower than 10/s the response is controlled primarily by the rate dependent constitutive law. For higher strain rates a change in crack direction, crack branching and progressive increase of resistance are observed. This is attributed to inertia and not to rate dependent strength. The comparison between numerical and experimental results shows that modeling approach based on continuum mechanics, rate dependent microplane model and standard finite elements predicts complex phenomena related to dynamic fracture of concrete realistically.