CRACK BAND MODEL

 Proposed by Bazant & Oh (1983)

 Fracture process zone is modeled by a band of uniformly and continuously

distributed microcracks with a fixed width, hc.

 Stable crack propagation is then simulated by progressively microcracking

within this band, which is described by a simple stress-strain relationship.

 Crack opening displacement is equal to product of fracture strain and width of

crack band.
 σ

y
hc
Et
E
aa00 da

Stress-strain curve for microcrack band

σ

(e). Quasi-Brittle Material

with Damage Zone
 c
CRACK BAND MODEL G f     dw
0
• Energy consumed due to crack advance 1 ft  1 ft 
 G  h c f   hc f  
per unit area of crack band, Gf is the E 
f t t
2  2 Et 
product of area under stress-strain curve
 1 ft 2 1 ft 2 
and the width of crack band, hc.  hc   
2 E 2 Et 
 ft 2  E 
 hc  1   
E = Modulus of Elasticity , positive  2 E  Et  
Et = Strain – Softening modulus, positive
 E  ft 2
ft = Tensile strength of material Gf   hc 1              (1)
 Et  2 E

•In CBM, three material parameters, hc, ft and Et are required in addition to E.

•Thickness of band, hc = nada

na = 3 for concrete
= 5 for rock
da = Maximum size of aggregate
 Crack Band Model
Application of CBM to concrete
• A plate of width 2b with a central crack of
σ
length 2a is considered, under uniaxial tension.
Ends of plate are fixed.
• Strain energy density in plate before loading is
6
 2
NC
2E 4 1
hc
3 2
 NC  Fracture stress of the plate
5
• Formation of crack band causes relief of strain 2b

energy and stress in some areas surrounding

the crack band.
• Energy relief area is 125346 and slopes of lines σ
16, 64, 35 and 52 are assumed equal to unity. (e). Crack Band Model for tensile plate with center crack
 CRACK BAND MODEL
• Total energy release due to formation of crack band is

 NC
2
na d a a NC
2
U a 2
          (2)
E E
• Work done by applied load at the boundaries is zero.
• Energy release rate in the plate due to formation of a unit length of crack
band, Gf, is equal to U
a

U 2a  NC
2
na d a  NC
2
Gf           (3)
a E E
 CRACK BAND MODEL
• From eqn (1) and (3)
 E  ft 2  NC
2
na d a  NC
2
hc 1    2a 
 Et  2 E E E
 E  ft 2
hc 1    2 a  na d a   NC
2

 Et  2
B 2 ft 2 B 2 ft 2 B 2 ft 2
 2
 
 2 a  na d a   2a   
NC

 n d   
na d a   
1
   b
a a 1  
  a a 
n d b
  
 2 a 
n d b
 b0  a a
2 a
B ft
 NC           ( 4)
b
1
b0

Where da is constant, b0 = constant for a series of geometrically similar

structures that have a constant (b/a) value.
 CRACK BAND MODEL
• Expression for failure stress Nc is function of size of structures, which
indicates that the failure stress decreases with increase in the size of
structure.

• Crack length “a” should be proportional to the plate width, b.

1 E
B 1  
2 Et 