Title:
Fracture Energy Approach for Predicting Cracking of Reinforced Concrete Tensile Members
Author(s):
Chengsheng Ouyang and Surendra P. Shah
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
91
Issue:
1
Appears on pages(s):
69-78
Keywords:
cracking (fracturing); crack width and spacing; energy methods; reinforced concrete; serviceability; stiffness; tensile properties; Design
DOI:
10.14359/4499
Date:
1/1/1994
Abstract:
A fracture energy approach based on nonlinear fracture mechanics is proposed to predict cracking of reinforced concrete members subjected to tension. In the proposed model, concrete is considered as a quasi-brittle material, and its cohesive nature in the fracture process was taken into account by a rising fracture resistance curve (R-curve). To predict fracture response of a reinforced concrete tensile member, the fracture energy required for crack propagating in the corresponding plain concrete member with the same dimension and material properties was first evaluated using an R-curve approach. The strain energy, the debonding energy, and the sliding energy on the debonded interface of steel bars and concrete were then calculated. By balancing these energies dissipated during cracking, the cracking behavior of the reinforced concrete member can be predicted. The proposed approach shows a good agreement with experimental results reported in different studies. The influence of the size effect on cracking behavior is discussed. A closed-form solution is derived to predict the minimum reinforcement ratio for tensile members, and this minimum reinforcement ratio is shown to depend on the size of the members.