The Microplane Model for Concrete in COMSOL

A. Frigerio
RSE S.p.A.
Milan, Italy
Published in 2011

The safety of large civil structures is often evaluated by means of numerical models based on the Finite Element Method. In this frame, the choice of a constitutive law able to represent the complex mechanical behaviour of concrete is a key point.

This paper deals with a detail description of all the steps needed to implement the Microplane Model in COMSOL; the formulation is based on the definition of 28 microplanes for each material point. The capability of this method to represent carefully the inelastic mechanical behaviour of concrete will be shown making reference to the modelling of experimental tests carried out on concrete specimens.