The description of cracking and failure within element ana- lysis of quasi-brittle structures and materials such as concrete has led to two fundamentally different approaches: the discrete and the smeared crack methodology. Traditionally, they represent two dis- tinct viewpoints: The…
The description of cracking and failure within element ana- lysis of quasi-brittle structures and materials such as concrete has led to two fundamentally different approaches: the discrete and the smeared crack methodology. Traditionally, they represent two dis- tinct viewpoints: The discrete approach is based on the principles of fracture mechanics or fictitious crack concepts which require adap- tive remeshing techniques when progressive failure is to be captured. The smeared approach is based on equivalent continuum concepts of elastic degradation and/ or softening plasticity within the fixed mesh approach. In recent years, new developments such as mesh adap- tation in smeared calculations, generalizations of the fictitious crack method with zero and finite thickness interfaces, as well as continuum elements with embedded cracks blur that well-defined separation. addition, recent developments in localization analysis of weak and strong discontinuities and their interrelation with traditional crack models multiply the variety of failure analysis methodologies in qua- si brittle structures and materials. One of important engineering applications is anchorage tech- nology, in which the pull-out problem has been extensively studied with the aid of all these techniques. The workshop was intended to foster discussion and interchange on this hot topic from the theoret- ical, numerical, and the engineering point-of-view.