Investigation of mechanical behaviour of a quasi-brittle material using Karagozian and Case concrete (KCC) model

Abstract

The mechanical behaviour of a quasi-brittle material, i.e. Pietra Serena sandstone, was investigated both numerically and experimentally in order to build a reliable numerical modelling system applicable to more complex cases. The Karagozian and Case concrete (KCC) model was exploited as the material constitutive law and a new method to utilise this model for efficient and accurate simulation of quasi-brittle materials is discussed. The capability of this model is evaluated by comparing the results of the numerical simulations with the corresponding experimental results, and the method itself is critically assessed. Keywords: Finite element method (FEM), Triaxial compression test, Brazilian disc test, Quasi-brittle behaviour, Karagozian and Case concrete (KCC) model