Title: Stochastic simulation of cracking in concrete structures using multiparameter random fields

Authors: Thomas Most, Christian Bucher

Addresses: Institute of Structural Mechanics, Bauhaus-University Weimar, Marienstr. 15, Weimar 99423, Germany. ' Institute of Structural Mechanics, Bauhaus-University Weimar, Marienstr. 15, Weimar 99423, Germany

Abstract: In this paper an algorithm for the probabilistic analysis of concrete structures is proposed. In this algorithm the damage process owing to cracking is considered in a cohesive crack approach using an adaptively coupled finite element and meshless discretisation. The fluctuations in the material parameters of concrete are modelled as random fields, which are discretised using the integration point method. In this model a correlation between an arbitrary number of random parameters can be represented even for non-Gaussian distribution types by extending the standard random field concept. The presented algorithm is applied for plain and reinforced concrete structures by calculating the statistical response using different sampling strategies.

Keywords: random fields; correlated parameters; concrete cracking; crack simulation; meshless methods; natural neighbour interpolation; stochastic simulation; concrete structures; probabilistic analysis; finite element method; FEM; reliability analysis; uncertainty.

DOI: 10.1504/IJRS.2006.010696

International Journal of Reliability and Safety, 2006 Vol.1 No.1/2, pp.168 - 187

Published online: 19 Aug 2006 *

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