A Concurrent Multiscale Framework for Concrete Damage Analysis Using Overlapping Domain Decomposition

Failure of concrete structures is a multiscale process where macroscale at the structural level and mesoscale at the heterogeneous material level are both involved. A multiscale approach is necessitated in the simulation of concrete failure. Based on an overlapping domain decomposition method, a concurrent multiscale framework for the damage analysis of concrete structures is formulated. The applicability of the proposed framework is illustrated by the multiscale damage analysis of an L-shaped concrete structure. Considering the complexity of a mesoscale model for a global concrete structure, the concrete structure is divided into three parts that require different strategies. Special attention is paid to the part where mesoscale structure needs to be taken. The Concrete Damaged Plasticity (CDP) model is adopted at the mesoscale level. The numerical results indicate that the proposed framework is able to model the damage process in concrete structure where a critical area will be particularly considered. The computational efficiency of the concurrent nonlinear algorithm is also discussed. The proposed multiscale framework can be potentially applied to model structural damage analysis in engineering practice.