Tensile fracture process of Strain Hardening Cementitious Composites by means of three-dimensional meso-scale analysis

There are a wide variety of short fiber reinforced cement composites. Among these materials are Strain Hardening Cementitious Composites (SHCC) that exhibit strain hardening and multiple cracking in tension. Quantitative material design methods considering the properties of matrix, fiber and their interface should be established. In addition, numerical models to simulate the fracture process including crack width and crack distribution for the material are needed.This paper introduces a numerical model for three-dimensional analysis of SHCC fracture, in which the salient features of the material meso-scale (i.e. matrix, fibers and their interface) are discretized. The fibers are randomly arranged within the specimen models. Load test simulations are conducted and compared with experimental results. It is seen that the proposed model can well simulate the tensile failure of Ultra High Performance-Strain Hardening Cementitious Composites (UHP-SHCC) including strain-hardening behavior and crack patterns. The effects of matrix strength, its probability distribution inside the specimen and fiber distribution on the tensile fracture are numerically investigated. Consideration of the probability distributions of material properties, such as matrix strength, appears to be essential for predicting the fracture process of SHCC.

► A numerical model for three-dimensional analysis of SHCC fracture was proposed.
► The salient features of the material meso-scale (i.e. matrix, fibers and their interface) are discretized.
► The proposed model can well simulate the tensile failure of SHCC including crack patterns.
► Probability distributions of material properties strongly affect the fracture process of SHCC.