Coupled damage tensors and weakest link theory for the description of crack induced anisotropy in concrete

Crack induced anisotropy in concrete is modeled within the general framework of damage mechanics. The damage state, formulated by using the effective stresses, is described by two second order tensors for direct and for induced cracks, respectively. These variables are deduced from different causes of deterioration by the generalized weakest link theory. The major contributions of this paper are the development of a failure criterion in multiaxial compression loading, and the definition of a projection method for assessing the effects of an initial oriented damage in any loading direction. The model is applied to the numerical analysis of concrete structures and the results are compared to available experimental data.