Determination of parameters of a viscous-cohesive fracture model by inverse analysis

The quasi-brittle, loading rate dependent behaviour of the concrete, characterized by a fracture process zone (FPZ) ahead of the crack front, can be described through a viscous-cohesive model. In this paper, a viscous cohesive model proposed in a former paper is evaluated for a group of high strength concrete beams loaded at rates from 10-5 mm/s to 10+1 mm/s. A software has been developed to enable the automatic determination of the viscous-cohesive model parameters through inverse analysis on load-versus loading-point displacement (P-d) from threepoint bend tests on notched prismatic specimens. The strategy allowed the sensitivity analysis of the parameters related to viscous behaviour. The analysis of results shows that the formerly proposed model can be improved for a better simulation of the loading rate dependence on the cohesive fracture process.