ABSTRACT
In order to evaluate the cracking process in large reinforced and pre-stressed concrete structures, a predictive model of concrete damage with refined mesh and a nonlinear law can be required. Because of the computational load, such modelling is not applicable directly on large-scale structures whose characteristic dimensions are over several meters. To overcome this difficulty, a method based on the static condensation [1], called “ASC” has been proposed. It concentrates the computational effort on the damaged area, which can evolve due to crack propagation or initiation [2].
In order to reach a higher level of representativeness, mesh refinement is integrated into the ASC method in the proposed contribution. The method first uses a coarse initial mesh and refines it only in the domain of interest (DI) to reach a density of mesh adapted to a non-local model (order of the centimeter). This principle of refinement, integrated in the ASC method, is described. It is then applied to a notched bending beam. The use of mesh refinement combined to ASC method allow to keep results similar to a calculation with a fine mesh on the entire structure. However, it also allows a saving in computational time and in memory occupation that increases with the increase in the mesh density of the refined zones.
