Prediction of Shear Failure of Large Beams Based on Fracture Mechanics

A large beam tested at Toronto University for a prediction contest was simulated by the authors using a nonlinear finite element code. Their entry was chosen as the overall winner of the prediction contest and was a motivation for this case study. The crack propagation was modeled by a smeared crack approach and a fracture mechanics-based cohesive crack model. The paper discusses the model sensitivity to mesh sizes and fracture parameters. A parameter study was performed to examine the model uncertainty of numerical simulation. A probabilistic model of concrete non-homogeneity was used to reflect a more realistic strain localization in the smeared crack model.