Degradation theories of concrete and development of a new deviatoric model in incremental tangent formulation: limit analysis applied to case of anchor bolts embedded in concrete

This research is achieved in the general framework of the study of the concrete behaviour. It has for objective the development of a new behaviour model satisfying to the particular requirements for an industrial exploitation. After the analysis of different existent models, a first development has concerned models based on the smeared crack theory. A new formulation of the theory permitted to overcome the stress locking problem. However, the analysis showed the persistence of some limits inert to this approach in spite of this improvement. Then, an analysis of the physical mechanisms of the concrete degradation has been achieved and permitted to develop the new damage model MODEV. The general formulation of this model is based on the theory of the thermodynamics and applied to the case of the heterogeneous and brittle materials. The MODEV model considers two damage mechanisms: extension and sliding. The model considers also that the relative tangent displacement between microcracks lips is responsible of the strain irreversibility. Thus, the rate of inelastic strain becomes function of the damage and the heterogeneity index of the material. The unilateral effect is taken in account as an elastic hardening or softening process according to re-closing or reopening of cracks. The model is written within the framework of non standard generalised materials in incremental tangent formulation and implemented in the general finite element code SYMPHONIE. The validation of the model has been achieved on the basis of several tests issued from the literature. The second part of this research has concerned the development of the CHEVILAB software. This simulation tool based on the limit analysis approach permit the evaluation of the ultimate load capacity of anchors bolts. The kinematics approach of the limit analysis has been adapted to the problem of anchors while considering several specific failure mechanisms. This approach has been validated then by comparison with the experimental and F.E. simulations results. (author)