ABSTRACT
A hybrid experimental-numerical procedure was used to analyze the fracture process zone (FPZ) in concrete fracture specimens. The crack opening displacement (COD) along the fracture process zone and the traction-free crack as well as the crack tip location were determined by moire interferometry. The numerical procedure consisted of two steps: establishing a library of fundamental solutions which relate unit crack closure stress with the corresponding COD along the FPZ; and a nonlinear iteration procedure of fitting the measured and estimated COD's for a given applied loading condition of the fracture specimen. The utility of this hybrid procedure is demonstrated.
